Archana Puran Singh

Early life

Archana Puran Singh is a Rajput. She was born in Dehradun to Chaudhary Puran Singh, an affluent lawyer who owned Chevrolet Impala car and had represented Sanjay Gandhi in 1975-1977 Emergency in India related cases, but did not want his children to become lawyers as he believed this profession sometimes required compromise with own conscience while representing the clients. She is the third among the four siblings.

After she completed her 1st to 11th at Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun, she went on to Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi to study literature where she stayed in the college hostel. After she finished college, her father coincidentally connected to his old friends in Mumbai for reasons unrelated to movies, but series of events saw Archana moving to Mumbai in a paying guest house where she stayed for four years with Mitali Mukherjee - wife of singer Bhupinder Singh.

Career

In films

She made her film debut with Nikaah in 1982 at the age of 20. Some of her films are Love Story 2050, Mohabbatein, Krrish, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Masti, De Dana Dan and Bol Bachchan. She reprised her role as Mrs. Braganza from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in the Netflix film Nadaaniyan. She further starred in another Netflix film, Toaster.

In television

Archana's first TV show was the weekly sitcom Mr Ya Mrs, aired on Sundays in the year 1985 on the government-owned channel Doordarshan. She played a working woman in it, with Jayant Kriplani playing a house-husband who doesn't work a job but stays at home to take care of it.

She became a television anchor, with Wah, Kya Scene Hai on Zee TV in 1993, which was followed by Uncensored. She later acted in Shrimaan Shrimati, Junoon and hosted Archana Talkies on Sony Entertainment Television. She also acted in the TV show Zee Horror Show.

She also directed sitcoms like Jaane Bhi Do Paaro and Nehle Pe Dehla and produced Samne Wali Khidki.

In 2005, she was a contestant in the dance reality show Nach Baliye 1, in which she participated with her husband, Parmeet Sethi; they were eliminated in the sixth episode. In 2006, she and her husband hosted another dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

Thereafter, she appeared as a judge on various comedy shows, including Sony Entertainment Television's Comedy Circus. In 2015, she appeared in SAB TV's The Great Indian Family Drama as Begum Paro.

In 2019, she entered as the judge/permanent guest in The Kapil Sharma Show replacing Navjot Singh Sidhu, and reprised her role in The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix in 2024. In 2019, she acted as Lakhan's mother, Paramjeet, in SAB TV serial, My Name Ijj Lakhan opposite her real life husband, Parmeet Sethi. She returned to acting with the web-series Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya.

Dubbing career In 2010, she entered the dubbing industry with an Indian animated film, Pangaa Gang, and voiced the antagonist of the film. 9 years later, she returned to the industry to voice Zeta, the leader of Eagle Island in the Hindi version of The Angry Birds Movie 2.

Filmography Films +Key Denotes films that have not yet been released Year Title Role(s) Language(s) 1982 Nikaah Salesgirl Hindi 1987 JalwaJyothi 1988 Aaj Ke Angaarey Priya The Perfect Murder Miss Twinkle 1990 Aag Ka Gola Nisha 1991 Jeena Teri Gali Mein 1997 Share Bazaar 1999 Bade Dilwala Manthara Anyay Hi Anyay 2001 Censor Margaret Moksha: Salvation Mrs D'Souza Enakku 20 Unakku 18 / Nee Manasu Naaku Telusu Tamil / Telugu 2004 Masti Mrs. Tyagi Hindi Mirchi - It's Hot 2005 Insan Rajjo 2006 The Gold Bracelet Baljit Singh Krrish Nayantara Mera Dil Leke Dekho 2007 NaqaabTV Reporter Love Story 2050 Sangeeta Bedi Money Hai Toh Honey Hai Dolly Rafoo Chakkar: Fun on the RunKokila Good Luck! 2009 Kal Kisne Dekha Bebe Tera Mera Ki Rishta Punjabi Bad Luck GovindaMamtaHindi De Dana Dan Kuljeet Kaur 2011 Luv Ka The End Lux Lovani Haat - The Weekly Bazaar 2014 Kick Rati Lal Singh 2015 Dolly Ki Doli Manjot's mother Uvaa Jayshri Bhatiya 2023 Walk 2024 Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video Vidya's mother 2025NadaaniyanMrs. Braganza-Malhotra 2026ToasterMalini Pherwani

Television

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResult 1997 Filmfare Awards Best Supporting Actress Raja Hindustani 1999Best ComedianKuch Kuch Hota Hai Screen Awards Best Anchor Archana Talkies Asian Television AwardsBest Entertainment Presenter/HostUncensored 2000 IIFA Awards Best Comedian Mohabbatein 2001 Indian Television Academy Awards Aasman Se Tapki 2006 Method Fest Independent Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast The Gold Bracelet

Personal life

Her first marriage with the model Gurinder Singh, also known as Sunny Reya who died accidentally in 1991, did not work and ended in a divorce. She later married actor Parmeet Sethi on 30 June 1992 after 4 year long cohabitation. They have two sons, Aaryamann and Ayushmaan. Her son Aaryamann got engaged to actress Yogita Bihani in August 2025.