In an unexpected and surprising crossover, Bill Gates, the renowned Microsoft founder and global philanthropist, made a special appearance on an iconic Hindi television drama, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. This move has caught many in India by surprise, as Gates engaged with the show’s lead actress and former federal minister Smriti Irani to discuss crucial issues surrounding maternal and child health.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which translates to “Because the Mother-in-Law Was Also Once a Daughter-in-Law,” is one of the most beloved and long-running Indian TV dramas. The show originally aired in July 2000 and ran for over eight years on Star Plus, captivating audiences with its portrayal of complex family dynamics, especially the relationship between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. Smriti Irani’s character, Tulsi Virani, became an iconic figure in Indian popular culture, known for her strength, resilience, and moral values.
In July 2023, the show was revived after a 25-year hiatus, marking a return that attempted to rekindle the magic that once had millions glued to their television screens. The new season continues to follow Tulsi’s journey, now middle-aged and on the verge of becoming a mother-in-law herself, navigating fresh family challenges and continuing the original’s dramatic storytelling style. However, a notable shift in the revived series is its increased focus on socially relevant themes such as divorce, maternal and child health, and women’s empowerment, aligning with Smriti Irani’s real-life political work as a former minister for women and child development.
Against this backdrop, the appearance of Bill Gates on the show is a strategic and creative effort to promote awareness about maternal and child health issues, topics that the Gates Foundation has been deeply involved with for years. The Foundation has collaborated closely with the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, two populous and socioeconomically challenged northern Indian states, to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants. Despite significant progress shown in government data, both states continue to face entrenched social challenges rooted in patriarchal norms, making sustained messaging and awareness campaigns vital.
The segment featuring Gates and Tulsi is a four-minute video call in which Gates greets Tulsi in carefully pronounced Hindi, establishing an immediate cultural connection. Their conversation focuses on the importance of maternal health practices, including nutrition, prenatal care, and hospital deliveries. Tulsi is shown at a traditional godh-bharai ceremony—a baby shower—offering health advice to an expectant mother, reflecting the show's blend of cultural tradition and modern health messaging. The dialogue underlines the shared belief that healthy mothers lead to thriving children, which in turn fuels societal advancement.
The inclusion of Bill Gates in this storyline is not just a gimmick but a deliberate attempt to use the power of storytelling and popular culture to influence public attitudes. JioStar Entertainment, the producers of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, emphasized that their goal is to go beyond entertainment, using the show as a platform to inform, inspire, and create awareness on critical social issues. Sumanta Bose from JioStar stated that integrating such topics into a beloved narrative can generate meaningful impact far beyond the television screen, potentially changing lives by fostering greater understanding and empathy.
This collaboration is also notable for how it merges two very different worlds: global philanthropy and Indian soap opera. The unexpected nature of Gates’s cameo has led to widespread attention on social media, with a promo of the episode garnering over six million views on Instagram in less than 24 hours. Viewers expressed a mix of amusement and surprise, with comments reflecting the surreal nature of seeing a tech magnate engage with a quintessentially Indian TV drama. One popular comment humorously referred to the moment as a “multiverse,” highlighting the cultural crossover crossing boundaries of expectation.
Despite the nostalgic value and significant fanbase of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the show’s second innings has faced stiff competition from the growing variety of content available on streaming platforms, leading to a somewhat muted reception compared to its initial run. However, Bill Gates’s cameo has temporarily reignited interest and brought the show back into the limelight, demonstrating the potential power of such unexpected collaborations to capture public imagination.
In summary, Bill Gates’s appearance on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi represents a novel approach to public health communication in India. By leveraging a widely recognized and