Cinema VinesWhen the soap opera Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reached the height of its popularity, the television star Apara Mehta found herself in the midst of a fan frenzy that rivaled the excitement normally reserved for film celebrities. The veteran actress, who had been performing Gujarati drama in Kolkata’s Kala Mandir, recalled that her shows were packed every night, and that the moment she stepped onto the stage, thousands of fans surged forward in a wave of excitement.
Mehta described how, during one of her performances, roughly 8,000 spectators threw dandiya sticks in the air as soon as they saw her arrive. She was then dragged onto the podium, where people pulled and pushed her from all sides. While she was shaking hands with the audience, a fan tried to yank off her diamond ring and another accidentally set her on fire with a cigarette. The chaos made the podium itself tremble, and the crowd became so unruly that she had to be pulled down and surrounded by a circle of fans who touched her from every angle. When asked how they could touch her, Mehta jokingly replied, “It’s okay, you can touch me, but what will you get?”
These dramatic moments occurred while Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was running its eight‑year run, a period during which Mehta’s portrayal of Savita Virani, the matriarch of the Virani family, earned her widespread acclaim. The show, which has recently been rebooted with Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay in the lead roles, continues to draw a warm response from viewers.
Beyond her television success, Apara Mehta has maintained a prolific career in film and theatre. Her credits include popular serials such as Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, Saat Phere, Hamari Devrani, Jamai Raja, Qayamat Ki Raat, Anupamaa and Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey. She has also appeared in Hindi and Gujarati movies, notably Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Devdas and Tees Maar Khan, among others.
