Actress Swati Sharma, who plays Vaishnavi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, says she does not want her character to be compared with Mouni Roy’s Krishna Tulsi from the original series, despite similarities drawn between the two characters.
Swati, who has also appeared in shows including Yeh Hai Chahatein, Chahenge Tumhe Itna and Tu Dhadkan Main Dil, said she has not watched the original Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and therefore cannot comment on how closely Vaishnavi resembles Mouni’s character.
“Honestly, I haven’t watched the first part of Kyunki, so I can’t really comment on how similar my character was to Mouni’s. When I was cast, a few articles were saying it would be somewhat on those lines, but I really don’t know how much similarity there actually was,” she said.
Mouni joined Ekta Kapoor’s original Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006 as Krishna Tulsi. Like Vaishnavi, Krishna Tulsi was an adopted village girl who became part of the Virani household and was introduced as a daughter-figure and protege of Tulsi Virani.
Reflecting on her own character’s journey, Swati described Vaishnavi’s storyline as one of the most significant tracks in the reboot, particularly her equation with Parth and Reyansh.
She highlighted the storyline involving marital rape, saying the character’s progression through hatred, friendship and love, followed by physical abuse, provided her with a challenging emotional graph to portray.
“It was one of the best things that happened to me on Kyunki, and I got a lot of appreciation for that track,” Swati said. “As an actor, when you get such depth and such an emotional graph to portray, it really challenges you and helps you grow.”
Swati also expressed admiration for Mouni’s career but said she prefers not to measure her own journey against another actor’s.
“I definitely don’t want to compare myself with Mouni. She’s a great star and she has come a long way. She started with television, and today she is doing films and getting appreciated for her work. She has reached a completely different level,” she said.
“For now, I’d rather compare myself with who I was yesterday and see how far I’ve come. That is what keeps me grounded and motivated to do better,” she added.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, which premiered on July 29, 2025, is a direct sequel and reboot of the iconic 2000s television series. The show marked the return of Smriti Irani and Amar Upadhyay as Tulsi and Mihir Virani and was created by Ekta Kapoor.