The two things that constantly change on Comedy Circus is the level of comedy (from inspired to seriously offensive) and the ‘judge’ sitting next to Archana Puran Singh. Arbaaz Khan has replaced brother Sohail — who was on the show for two years — and Archana says she will miss Sohail “a lot. He’s the nicest person I have known. Very cool and I would have missed him more if it was not for his brother replacing him!” she smiles.
Archana who’s been with the show for six years now says she has the coolest job in town. “I have six days off because we shoot just once a day and I get handsomely paid!
What more do you want?” If she ever thinks of leaving the show then it would be because of the long hours they put in, on the day of the shoot. “I come home at 6 or 7 in the morning on shooting days so that’s the only negative aspect.”
Ask her if she enjoys acting or judging more and she promptly says, “Acting definitely because it’s creatively satisfying. I was very happy to be part of Bol Bachchan. And I think I will get my next film only when the judge sitting next to me offers one! There is more money in being a judge but that’s because I have done 30 years of comedy. I have earned my stripes to be sitting there but judging is not creatively satisfying.”
Talking about her incessant (and definitely irritating) laughter, she assures you that more often than not, her “laughter is fed into the tracks. Till recently, I was made into this national laughing stock. I definitely don’t laugh at every joke they crack but they show me laughing all the time!”
A lot of jokes are cracked at her expense, about her femininity and even her husband, Parmeet Sethi. “I don’t mind them because the jokes are far from reality. If they say ‘I am a man’ I don’t become one! I am neither insecure about my femininity nor my credibility.”
Though she says her two teenage sons have caught on to the ‘Mard’ and ‘Archana Papa’ jokes. “Sometimes they call me ‘Archana Papa’ or say ‘Mama, your moustache has grown a bit, shave it!’”
