Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani turns a year older today and on the occasion of her 45th birthday, we bring you a few facts about the actor-turned-politician, which you probably didn’t know.
- Smriti studied at Holy Child Auxilium School but dropped out after class XI. She then enrolled in School of Open Learning
2. She was one of the finalists in Miss India 1998. Reportedly, she had borrowed Rs. 1 lakh from her dad for the contest and had promised to repay regardless of the result.
3. While she was struggling to make it big, the actress-turned-politician worked at McDonalds and had to also mop the floors.
4. She wanted to become a journalist at one point but gave up her dream after she got rejected during an interview.
5. In December 2004, she had threatened to fast until death unless Narendra Modi resigned as Gujarat’s Chief Minister. She later retracted her statement after the party leadership expressed its displeasure.
6. Smiti is businessman Zubin Irani’s second wife. They have two kids together Zohr and Zoish. Smriti is also stepmom to Zubin’s daughter Shanelle from his first marriage with Mona Irani.
7. In 2007, she had a fall out with Ekta Kapoor and walked out of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was replaced by Gautami Kapoor. Later she reconciled with Ekta and made a special appearance in an episode of the show in 2008.
8. She is the youngest minister in PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
9. She was accused of providing contradicting affidavits about her educational qualifications during different election. In 2004 Lok Sabha election she claimed that she had done BA from Delhi University and in 2014 elections she said that he done B.Com. In 2019 she confirmed she is not a graduate.
10. Her ties with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh goes back a long way. Her grandfather was a RSS swayamsevak and her mother was a member of the Jana Sangha.
