From earning Rs 1800 per month, being a Miss India finalist to becoming a union minister: Smriti Irani’s inspiring journey

Smriti Irani has come a long way in her profession life. The former actress started off as a model and then won hearts with her acting skills and later became a politician. Not many know about her early life struggles and how she used to earn Rs 1800 per month. Throughout the years she made headlines for her success stories and some controversies. Here’s a a look at her inspiring journey..

Actress-turned-politician Smriti Irani had a roller coaster of a journey in the television industry. She came to Mumbai at a very young age to fulfil her dreams. After a lot of struggles Smriti entered the world of modelling and tried her luck. She even contested in Miss India 1998 and became one of the finalists. Smriti did a few modelling campaigns there after.

The actress saw her fair shares of ups and downs in the industry. In a recent interview with an online portal, the actress revealed earning Rs 1800 per month. She spoke about working in a fast food chain and even washing dishes as a part of her job. She said, “Side mein Hindustan ka pehla McDonald’s hai, uska interview chal raha tha. Toh maine pucha ki kuch agar chal raha hai, I can interview for. Toh unhone kaha ki ek hi position bacha hai vo entry level hai, unhone kaha bartan dhone ka kaam hai. That’s how I got my first job. (On the side, there was India's first McDonald's, and they were conducting interviews. So, I asked if anything was going on that I could interview for. They said there was only one position left, which was an entry-level job, and they mentioned it was for dishwashing. That's how I got my first job.).”

After a lot of hard work, she managed to enter the acting world and become the lead of Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Audience loved her acting skills as Tulsi Virani in the TV show. Smriti was also seen in TV shows Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Ek Thi Nyaaka and more.

Smriti Irani and Ekta Kapoor share a very good bond ever since their Kyunki days. When Smriti made an exit from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, people suspected a fall-out between the two of them. They even made headlines during the time over the rumours. However, their friendship stayed intact and they cleared the air by sharing pictures and videos with one another later on.

In 2003, Smriti Irani joined BJP and made a name for herself. In 2004 the former actress was appointed at the VP of Maharashtra Youth Wing. However, not many knew her for her political career back then, her significant success was in 2019 when she became a Member of the Parliament. She even won against Rahul Gandhi with a margin of 55,000 votes. Smriti is also one of the youngest cabinet members. Audience love her for her leadership qualities.

The former actress has also tried her hands at writing and wrote her first book in 2021. Her first book ‘Lal Salaam’ received a lot of appreciation and love from the fans. The book is based on April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada and the role of central police forces.