Archana Puran Singh, a familiar face on The Great Indian Kapil Show, has candidly spoken about the challenges she faced in her married life, revealing that there was a time when she took on low-budget films simply to support her family.
Archana and actor Parmeet Sethi have been married for 33 years. In a recent conversation on her YouTube channel, the actress reflected on her personal and professional journey, while Parmeet continued to wait for meaningful roles in the industry.
According to Indian media reports, Archana said that after marriage she became the primary breadwinner, which at times made her feel she had suppressed her own emotional need for support. She shared that while she reassured herself about earning, she also encouraged her husband not to reject projects while waiting for quality work.
“To survive in Mumbai and run the household, I even did C-grade films,” she admitted, adding that she had made it a rule never to say no to work at the time.
“The result was that I ended up doing some very poor-quality films, because the priority was keeping the household running.”
She said she often felt that had her husband’s career progressed faster, she might not have had to take on such work. Archana added that with time, she learned to be selective and now refuses certain projects.
Parmeet Sethi, speaking alongside her, said he is seven years younger than Archana, which may have contributed to the slower pace of his career.
He acknowledged that Archana’s career was already well established and admitted he feared that one wrong decision could push him out of the industry. He also revealed that he spent many years trying to establish himself as a lead actor.
Archana concluded by saying that while she aspired to be a heroine, she never compromised her self-respect. “I worked as an anchor, did comedy, accepted supporting roles, and even did low-grade films—but I never lost my dignity,” she said. “Had I done that, I would not be where I am today.”
