Ram Kapoor trolled for calling Kyunki co-star Smriti Irani ‘huge' in old video; netizens say: ‘This is so rude'

Hindustan Times

05-07-2025

A resurfaced interview featuring Ram Kapoor, 51, has reignited debate online not for what he said about himself, but for his comments about former Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi co-star Smriti Irani, 49. In a now-viral clip from his conversation with Humans of Bombay, reshared by Brut India yesterday, the actor candidly reflects on body image in the television industry but his remarks have left many questioning his tone. Ram Kapoor and Smriti Irani
The interview starts off well-intentioned. Kapoor acknowledges that in today's world, success often comes with an unspoken demand to look a certain way. He talks about how tough it is for overweight actors to break through. However, things quickly take a turn when he brings up Irani as an example. 'She was my size as a woman and probably more successful than me,' Kapoor says in the video. 'It is just that she left earlier.'
Kapoor then goes on to describe the physical transformation Irani underwent over the eight-year run of Kyunki, a show that first aired in 2000. 'When she started Kyunki Saas and when she ended, she was huge. Her logic was now I have played a character who has taken so many leaps. 'Now I am playing a grandmother.' So you see her in the first year of Kyunki to last year, you will notice that she is as big as I am. We were equally successful.'
But he later adds that they have, infact, discussed it openly. 'I have even spoken to her about this. She was just staying true to her character. When she entered the series, she played just a wife, then she became a mother, then the show took several leaps in eight years of its run. She allowed herself to become bigger. If she would have continued in television, she would have probably [been] much bigger than me. She left because she joined politics and she is doing great.'
Kapoor also noted, 'Now, if a guy my size will want to make it big, it will be difficult. But if we talk about opposite gender, Smriti did achieve success despite all that weight.'
Internet not impressed
While Kapoor's comments were possibly meant to highlight Irani's success, many netizens didn't watch the entirety of the video, interpreting Kapoor's comments as body-shaming wrapped in backhanded praise. 'She legit acted in her pregnancies. And her 'size' — which, no offence, she looked absolutely beautiful in all her sizes on the show — actually suited the character due to the character having multiple children, then going on to have grandchildren etc,' wrote one user. Another asked, 'She acted during her pregnancy. Did you?' while a third said, 'What was this question, why do we keep bringing a woman and her size in a conversation with a male?'
One more comment read, 'What did I just hear? Did he just say that success is directly proportional to the LITERAL SIZE of a human being? Has he lost it or has this been taken out of context? I mean, wtf?' Others accused him of arrogance post his physical transformation: 'Something is surely wrong with Ram Kapoor. He's become fit and needs to just stick with that rather than gloating how he or others were successful due to their weight.' And another simply said: 'This is so rude. What is wrong with this man?'
About the show and its revival
Premiering in 2000, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was a cultural phenomenon that redefined Indian television. Created by Ekta Kapoor, the daily soap followed the dramatic highs and lows of the Virani family, with Irani's Tulsi at its core. Announcements of a reboot have taken fans by storm, but due to set delays it is expected to release much later than anticipated.
Irani also recently shared a post celebrating 25 years of the show. '25 years ago, a story entered Indian homes and quietly became part of countless lives. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi wasn't just a show—it was emotion, memory, ritual. A time when families paused everything to sit together… cry, laugh, hope,' she said.