When Tulsi met tech royalty
Smriti Irani, who once ruled prime time with her starched saris and stern lectures on family honor, will now co-star with Bill Gates in what can only be called the most elite Zoom call in Indian soap history. We’ve gone from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi to Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Billionaire Nestled in Silicon Valley Thi.
Let’s pause to appreciate the cultural whiplash:
Ekta Kapoor may have just soft-launched the United Nations General Assembly in Virani Mansion.
Is Indian television…evolving? Or just getting a Silicon Valley patch update?
To be fair, the Gates Foundation has long championed public health causes in India. But integrating that mission into the narrative universe of Kyunki—a show once defined by reincarnations, plastic surgeries and monologues to deities—signals a seismic shift in Indian entertainment.
Bill Gates isn’t just making a cameo. He’s elevating the TRPs into ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) territory.
The gentrification of Saas-Bahu dramas
If there was ever proof that Indian daily soaps have entered the age of globalisation, this is it. Smriti Irani has already transitioned from Tulsi to cabinet minister. Now Tulsi is transitioning from confronting evil mother-in-laws to conferencing with Bill Gates on public policy.
This cameo is less about celebrity stunt casting, more about signalling: that storytelling in India is no longer confined to living rooms—it’s entering boardrooms, NGOs, and global conversations. And while some may roll their eyes, one thing is undeniable—Bill Gates appearing on Kyunki has officially made Indian television investment-grade drama.
Moral of the story
Saas-bahu wars may come and go, but the TRP gold rush never ends. And if that means welcoming Bill Gates into the Virani family WhatsApp group, then so be it. Because in the new world order of Indian TV, Tulsi doesn’t just hold the household together—she holds the future of global maternal health policy.
Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema.
Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe.
Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons?
She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman.
From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.
