By News18,Yatamanyu Narain

Copyright news18

Smriti Irani may today be known as one of the most influential voices in Indian politics, but before she became a household name, she was just a young woman from a traditional family quietly daring to dream bigger. On Soha Ali Khan’s talk show All About Her, the actor-turned-politician looked back at the defining moment that pushed her life onto a completely new track.

A Rebel’s Secret Application
Growing up as Smriti Malhotra, she lived in a household where career paths for women were expected to remain conventional. Modeling was far from acceptable. And yet, driven by instinct, she filled out the Femina Miss India form without telling anyone at home. For her, it was a leap of faith. For her family, it would soon feel like a shockwave.
The Phone Call That Rocked the Family
“I still remember the day. It was Vasant Kunj, a rented flat and the call came. Somebody from the family picked it up and that family member asks why is TOI calling,” Irani recalled. The caller revealed that Smriti had been selected as a finalist. What should have been a moment of celebration instead felt like a “bombshell” detonating inside a conservative living room.
Fury Turns Into Reluctant Backing
Her father was furious when he found out, angered by both the secrecy and the implications of her selection. He even instructed his assistant to accompany her to Mumbai with the expectation she would lose quickly. “Go with Smriti, she will lose, get her back home,” he told him. But as Irani kept advancing round after round, the assistant was forced to call her father with an unexpected update, “This kid ain’t failing.”
Lessons From Losing the Crown
Though she didn’t win the Miss India crown, Irani discovered something more valuable. “I later realised the exhibition of a model was not my cup of tea,” she admitted. But the exposure lit a fire that guided her next steps—first into acting, most memorably as Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and later into politics, where she carved a career defined by grit.
More Than Nostalgia, a Statement of Defiance
For Irani, recounting this episode wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. It was about highlighting the courage it took to quietly rebel against family norms and chase something bigger. That one risky decision turned into the seed for a career that has touched multiple industries and millions of people.