Meet Actress Who Got Just 'Rs 1000 Hike On Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', Was The 'Most Underpaid Actor', Shaved Her Head In Lockdown...Her Name Is

One of the most versatile and talented actress who has worked in the television industry for more than two decades now, in her latest interview opened up on her interesting journey. She was part of the iconic show on Indian TV which changed the fate of many actors in 2000s. Let's figure out who are we talking about: 

Jaya Bhattacharya made her niche place for playing antagonistic roles in TV serials, widely known for playing Payal in Ekta Kapoor's soap opera Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was also seen in Kasamh Se, Jhansi Ki Rani, and Gangaa. She regained her popularity with her role of Vasundhara Pandey in drama series Thapki Pyar Ki Banoo Main Teri Dulhan, Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka and Badho Bahu.

The actress spoke at length about her journey on Siddharth Kannan's podcast on YouTube. During the conversation, she looked back at her experience of working on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She played Payal Mehra – Mihir's ex-fiancée on the show. Jaya said, “I was the most underpaid actor. I never got a raise. Only once I asked for a raise, and while everyone got a raise of 2 thousand rupees, I got only 1 thousand. That hit my ego, so I didn’t ask for it ever again and hence didn’t get a raise for a straight 7 years.”

Siddharth asked if other castmates got a raise in those seven years. To which. Jaya said, “Ohhh yes… woh log toh kahan se kahan paunch gaye." Whether she will be returning for the upcoming reboot of the show or not, is not confirmed.

Jaya Bhattacharya also featured in a few Bollywood films including Devdas, Lajja, Fiza, Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta, Jigyaasa, Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi and Mimi among others.

Jaya Bhattacharya surprised her fans by shaving off her hair. The actress took to Instagram and shared a series of small video clips on why she opted to shave her head. She mentioned that she has never cared about how she looked but what matters to her is her work. She mentioned how Ankit Bathla, her Thapki Pyar Ki co-star, had warned her that he would not talk to her if she cuts her hair. Jaya apologised to Ankit. Jaya also mentioned in the video that hair will be donated to make wigs for cancer patients.

Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms' Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is returning with a reboot version and viewers can't be more excited for this one. The famous daily soap that aired from 3 July 2000 to 6 November 2008 was a top TRP-rider for many years. Starring Smriti Irani, Amar Upadhyay as Tulsi Virani and Mihir - the OG cast won a million hearts of the fans. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot will be available to watch from July 29, 2025 at 10:30 pm on StarPlus and stream online on JioHotstar.

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi had more than 1,800 episodes, and recently celebrated 25 years on June 3.

The buzz is strong about several new faces joining the main star cast. According to Times Now report, as many as 6 new faces are joining the OG star cast. Besides these, recently, actress Barkha Bisht confirmed her presence on the show. Rohit Suchanti, Shagun Sharma, Aman Gandhi, Tanisha Mehta, Ankit Bhatia and Prachi Singh are a few names doing the rounds on internet.