Smriti Irani has revealed that she used to earn a mere ₹1800 daily salary when she started out and was working in Shobha Kapoor’s daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Having started her journey on the small screen in 2000 with Atish and Hum Hain Kal Aaj Aur Kal, Smriti became a household name and face when she featured in Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as Tulsi Virani. (Also read: Smriti Irani had regrets after SSR death: ‘Please don’t kill yourself’)

Recalling her early days in the TV industry, Smriti revealed that producer Shobha did not allow anyone to eat or drink tea on the sets as she feared the furniture would be spoiled. “You don’t even look like a star, you look more like a technician with that kind of lifestyle. I used to get ₹1800, per day. When Zubin and I got married we barely had ₹30,000. I remember my makeup man was embarrassed and he used to say, ‘gaadi toh lelo mujhe sharam aati hai mai gaadi pe aata hu aur Tulsi bhabhi auto mein aa rahi hai (please get a car. I feel embarrased that I come by car while Tulsi bhabhi travels in an auto)’ ,” Smriti said in The Slow Interview with Neelesh Mishra.

Smriti also recalled how she used to get irked seeing that actors were allowed to have food on the set while the technicians and crew members were not. She recalled noticing that the sound guy had not taken a break even after 12-15 hours and was offering her tea. However, he refused to have it himself as he was not allowed to drink tea on sets.

“So then I had a setting with the spot guy, I used to ask for 60 teas to keep ready and I would go out with the technicians so that they all can have their tea too. I used to also travel the same way as the technicians so I knew what they went through,” Smriti said. She added that it was only after Shobha Kapoor spotted her drinking tea outside that the actor managed to get Shobha allow everyone (including technicians and other crew members) to drink tea on the set.