The reboot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was always going to bring attention, but no one expected the conversation to shift this quickly toward casting debates. Actor Akashdeep Saigal, who once played Tulsi’s son in the original run, has now returned in a completely different dynamic — as her grandson. And that twist has triggered a wave of trolling online, mostly because of his close age gap with Smriti Irani. But instead of dodging it, he has responded head-on, and in his own style.
Speaking about the backlash, Akashdeep didn’t sound bothered at all. In fact, he dismissed most of the criticism as background noise that doesn’t really matter in the bigger picture. According to him, people trying to question casting choices are reacting from insecurity more than logic, and that kind of negativity fades quickly anyway. He even used a simple but sharp comparison, saying there are things in life we can’t control — like how hair grows — so fighting what’s already in motion doesn’t make much sense.
The actor also made it clear that the team behind the show isn’t sitting around worrying about online chatter. He showed strong confidence in Ektaa Kapoor, calling her someone who doesn’t wait for approval before making creative decisions. For him, the focus is on the audience that actually connects with the story, not the handful of voices criticizing from the sidelines. It’s a familiar stance in today’s industry, where creators often choose to move ahead with their vision rather than reacting to every online trend.
What’s interesting here is that this reboot is not just a continuation, it’s a reimagining of a show that once defined Indian television. When “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” first aired back in 2000, it wasn’t just popular, it became a daily ritual in households across the country. Smriti Irani’s Tulsi became a cultural figure, and the show ran successfully for nearly eight years, shaping the soap opera format in India. So any change in character dynamics now was always going to be closely watched and debated.
The new version tries to balance nostalgia with a fresh setup. Alongside returning faces like Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan, the show also brings in a younger cast including Rohit Suchanti and Shagun Sharma. This mix is clearly an attempt to appeal to both long-time viewers and a new generation, but that also means certain creative risks — like unusual casting equations — come into play.
At the center of all this is the bigger question about how audiences view age and relationships on screen. Television has always played with timelines, leaps, and generational shifts, but social media now reacts instantly to anything that feels slightly off. What might have been accepted quietly years ago is now dissected and debated within minutes of airing.
For now, though, Akashdeep Saigal seems completely unfazed. His stance is simple — focus on storytelling, ignore the noise, and trust the audience that still believes in the show. Whether that confidence pays off in the long run will depend on how viewers connect with this new version, but one thing is clear — “Kyunki” is back in the conversation again, and not in a small way.
