Lesser-known facts about Smriti Irani
Indian politician and TV actor Smriti Zubin Irani turns a year older on March 23. Prior to joining politics, Smriti was a well-known face on Indian television. She gained immense popularity for her portrayal of Tulsi Virani in the popular soap opera ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’. She is currently the Minister of Textiles in the Government of India, having formerly held the Human Resource Development portfolio for a brief while.
As she turns 41, here are some lesser-known facts about the former model and current minister.
1. During her early days of struggle, Smriti worked as a helper at a McDonald’s outlet and even mopped floors as part of her duties.
2. Growing up, she wanted to be a journalist.
3. She participated in the 1998 Miss India beauty pageant and was one of the finalists.
4. She was part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from childhood as her grandfather was an RSS Swayamsevak.
5. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003 and became the vice president of the Maharashtra Youth Wing in 2004.
6. During the 2014 election campaign, Smriti wore only orange sarees to all her rallies in keeping with the BJP’s saffron ideology.
7. She is the youngest person in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
8. She has been accused of misrepresenting her educational qualifications and there is an ongoing RTI application to know her degree.
9. She was assigned the Human Resource Development portfolio in 2014, which was taken away from her in a cabinet reshuffle in 2016. She currently holds the position of the Minister of Textiles in the Modi government.
10. Smriti is married to a Parsi, Zubin Irani, and they have two children, Zohr and Zoish. The couple also have a stepdaughter, Shanelle, from Zubin’s previous marriage.
