A crossover no-one saw coming. That's how many in India are describing Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates' appearance in an iconic Hindi TV drama with actress and former federal minister Smriti Irani. Mr. Gates appeared on Thursday night's episode of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' to talk about maternal and child health with Irani. The Gates Foundation has been working on curbing infant and maternal mortality for years with governments in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - the two northern Indian states with huge populations that are also among the most disadvantaged regions. Government data shows a significant improvement in maternal and child health indicators over the years, including in the two states. But in a country steeped in patriarchy, challenges remain. In such a scenario, experts say messaging becomes extremely important to keep the drumbeat going to change norms and to make people more aware of the need to take care of their girls and mothers. And to do that, Mr. Gates perhaps couldn't have chosen a better platform than 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. The series, first launched in July 2000, had a very successful long innings with several thousand episodes broadcast almost daily on Star Plus for eight and a half years before discontinuation. In July, 25 years after first hitting the screens, 'Kyunki...' returned for its second innings.
Indian audiences found the show, based on the complex domestic relationship between Irani's character Tulsi and her mother-in-law, riveting, so much so that families reorganised their daily routines to ensure they didn't miss a single episode. Irani's character is at the center of the story of the fictitious Virani family. A quarter of a century later, Tulsi is middle-aged, her children grown, and she is about to become a mother-in-law herself. However, the melodrama of the original season remains in abundance.
The four-minute-long segment with Mr. Gates starts with the Microsoft founder greeting her in American-accented Hindi - 'Namaste Tulsi-ji,' he says, asking her if he'd said it right.
'Yes, absolutely perfect,' she beams. The call comes after Tulsi is seen in a viral video at a godh-bharai (baby shower) dishing out health advice to an expectant mother. Tulsi's son, who posted the video, tells her he tagged Mr. Gates, wondering if he would be willing to talk to Tulsi on a video call. 'He's accepted,' he squeals with delight. Tulsi initially seems nervous: 'What will I say to him? I only do video calls with you all or your father about grocery shopping.' But once the laptop is fired up and Mr. Gates comes into vision, Tulsi explains the reason for the 'traditional' ritual: 'We come together to bless a young expectant mother, we wish her lots of good health. We tell women how essential it is to look after their health, their nutrition and diet. We tell them to follow the doctors' instructions and go to a hospital for their delivery.'
The two agree that 'when mothers are healthy, children thrive and the world can make significant progress'. The release states that Mr. Gates will appear in three episodes of the show, aiming to spotlight critical issues surrounding maternal and child health. The unexpected cameo has intriguingly brought the show back into the limelight, with a promo of the episode garnering over six million views on Instagram in less than a day. Fans expressed a mix of surprise and amusement, capturing the essence of this unique TV moment.
Indian audiences found the show, based on the complex domestic relationship between Irani's character Tulsi and her mother-in-law, riveting, so much so that families reorganised their daily routines to ensure they didn't miss a single episode. Irani's character is at the center of the story of the fictitious Virani family. A quarter of a century later, Tulsi is middle-aged, her children grown, and she is about to become a mother-in-law herself. However, the melodrama of the original season remains in abundance.
The four-minute-long segment with Mr. Gates starts with the Microsoft founder greeting her in American-accented Hindi - 'Namaste Tulsi-ji,' he says, asking her if he'd said it right.
'Yes, absolutely perfect,' she beams. The call comes after Tulsi is seen in a viral video at a godh-bharai (baby shower) dishing out health advice to an expectant mother. Tulsi's son, who posted the video, tells her he tagged Mr. Gates, wondering if he would be willing to talk to Tulsi on a video call. 'He's accepted,' he squeals with delight. Tulsi initially seems nervous: 'What will I say to him? I only do video calls with you all or your father about grocery shopping.' But once the laptop is fired up and Mr. Gates comes into vision, Tulsi explains the reason for the 'traditional' ritual: 'We come together to bless a young expectant mother, we wish her lots of good health. We tell women how essential it is to look after their health, their nutrition and diet. We tell them to follow the doctors' instructions and go to a hospital for their delivery.'
The two agree that 'when mothers are healthy, children thrive and the world can make significant progress'. The release states that Mr. Gates will appear in three episodes of the show, aiming to spotlight critical issues surrounding maternal and child health. The unexpected cameo has intriguingly brought the show back into the limelight, with a promo of the episode garnering over six million views on Instagram in less than a day. Fans expressed a mix of surprise and amusement, capturing the essence of this unique TV moment.
