Meet India's biggest star, whose on-screen death was mourned by entire nation, became property dealer to earn living; His name is...

India.com

06-07-2025

Whenever we talk about the most popular faces in the television world, one name that always comes up is Amar Upadhyay. He is considered one of the veteran actors of the small screen and has been active in the acting industry for nearly three decades. When it comes to his popularity, Amar Upadhyay is best known for the iconic TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. He rose to fame by playing the role of Mihir Virani, a character that became a household name. His on-screen pairing with Smriti Irani was widely appreciated. Even today, many viewers still recognise him by that name. But do you know Amar struggled for 10 years to get the role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi? How did Amar Upadhyay get into acting?
Amar Upadhyay worked in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi from 2000 to 2002. However, if you think this was his first TV show, that's not the case. Amar Upadhyay began his career in 1993. He initially did some modelling assignments, which eventually led to his first television role.
Jaya Bachchan gave him his first break. Yes, Amar Upadhyay himself revealed this in an interview. He shared that Jaya Bachchan had seen his pictures in a magazine, after which she called him and signed him for the TV show Dekh Bhai Dekh. The show was a super hit in the 90s and marked the beginning of Amar Upadhyay's career.
After 10 years of struggle, Amar Upadhyay got Ekta Kapoor's Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi . In the popular family drama, Amar played Mihir, and he became a nationwide sensation with it. How was Amar Upadhyay's on-screen death mourned by Indians?
Amar Upadhyay shared in his old interview that his character Mihir's death in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi left the entire nation heartbroken, with women even visiting his home to mourn the loss. He said, 'Ektaa had hyped the entire episode of Mihir dying so much that when it finally happened, it was chaos all over. When the episode first aired, I remember my mother watching it and crying and I was like, 'I am alive, sitting right next to you'. Late in the night, I got a call from Balaji Telefilms that their e-mail servers had crashed and telephone lines were jammed as there was a massive outcry over Mihir's death.'
He further said, 'I woke up and the doorbell rang. There were 15-20 women standing outside my house, all dressed in white sarees. As they saw me, they were shocked. When my mother prodded them further, they said that they had come to mourn Mihir's death. My mother was furious. She scolded them and shooed them away.'
In Bharti and Harsh's podcast, Amar revealed that the night when his death episode was aired, he had to rush to the Balaji office to answer calls and assure his fans that he was alive. Amar said that around 2 am he was busy answering calls and consoling them. Amar Upadhyay turns into real estate, as he was seen selling property
Amar is real estate developer who has launched several residential projects in Poman, Mumbai, under the name Jalaram Eco Homes. He is the founder of Jalaram and his wife Hetal, manages his work. She is the director of the company. Amar Upadhyaya developes and sells units within these housing projects.