Archana Puran Singh


Archana Puran Singh Sethi is an Indian actress and television personality. She is known for her comedy roles in several Hindi films and as a judge in the comedy shows The Kapil Sharma Show and Comedy Circus. She is widely remembered for her supporting roles in several films, best known for playing Miss Braganza in the romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Archana Puran Singh has been featured in more than 100 films and television series.

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. In 1987, she starred in Jalwa opposite Naseeruddin Shah. Later, she did roles in films like Agneepath, Saudagar, Shola aur Shabnam, Aashiq Awara, and Raja Hindustani ; she did item songs in films like the Govinda-starrer thriller Baaz and the Suniel Shetty starrer Judge Mujrim.
Thereafter, she has largely restricted herself to supporting roles in Hindi films, often in comedies. Some of her films are Love Story 2050, Mohabbatein, Krrish, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Masti, De Dana Dan and Bol Bachchan.

In television

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 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.

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleLanguage
1982NikaahSalesgirlHindi
1987JalwaJyothiHindi
1988Aaj Ke AngaareyPriyaHindi
1988The Perfect MurderMiss TwinkleHindi
1988Woh Phir AayegiHindi
1989LadaaiSashi VermaHindi
1990Aag Ka GolaNishaHindi
1990AgneepathShanti/LailaHindi
1991Jeena Teri Gali MeinHindi
1991SaudagarHindi
1992Main Hoon SherniGanga VermaHindi
1992Zulm Ki HukumatChitraHindi
1992Shola Aur ShabnamMrs. DevaHindi
1992Naalaya SeidhiTamil
1992PandiyanTamil
1992BandhuBandhu's wifeHindi
1992BaazMonicaHindi
1993Aasoo Bane AngaareyChandaHindi
1993Kondapalli RajaTelugu
1993Aashiq AwaraSheelaHindi
1994MahakaalAnitaHindi
1994Yuhi KabhiHindi
1994Pyaar Ka RogHindi
1995TakkarMayaHindi
1996Aisi Bhi Kya Jaldi HaiHindi
1996Raja HindustaniShalini "Shalu" MitraHindi
1997Share BazaarHindi
1997Judge MujrimHindi
1998Kuch Kuch Hota HaiMiss BreganzaHindi
1999Bade DilwalaMantharaHindi
1999Anyay Hi AnyayHindi
2000MelaVidyavatiHindi
2000MohabbateinPreetoHindi
2001CensorMargaretHindi
2001Moksha: SalvationMrs D'SouzaHindi
2002Maine Dil Tujhko DiyaDancerHindi
2003Jhankaar BeatsMs. VoluptuousHindi
2003Khanjar: The KnifeHindi
2003JanasheenMarthaHindi
2003Enakku 20 Unakku 18 / Nee Manasu Naaku TelusuTamil / Telugu
2004MastiMrs. TyagiHindi
2004Mirchi - It's HotHindi
2004Rok Sako To Rok LoSweetyHindi
2004Aabra Ka DaabraSuzanneHindi
2005InsanRajjoHindi
2006The Gold BraceletBaljit SinghHindi
2006KrrishNayantaraHindi
2006Mera Dil Leke DekhoHindi
2007NaqaabTV ReporterHindi
2008Mere Baap Pehle AapInspector Bhawani BhagmarHindi
2008Love Story 2050Sangeeta BediHindi
2008Money Hai Toh Honey HaiDollyHindi
2008Rafoo Chakkar: Fun on the RunKokilaHindi
2008Good Luck!Hindi
2008Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!Kamlesh HandaHindi
2009Kal Kisne DekhaBebeHindi
2009Tera Mera Ki RishtaPunjabi
2009Bad Luck GovindaMamtaHindi
2009De Dana DanKuljeet KaurHindi
2011Luv Ka The EndLux LovaniHindi
2011Haat - The Weekly BazaarHindi
2012Bol BachchanZohra/MadhumatiHindi
2014KickRati Lal SinghHindi
2015Dolly Ki DoliManjot's motherHindi
2015UvaaJayshri BhatiyaHindi
2019Housefull 4Varsha P. Sinha Hindi
2020Virgin BhanupriyaMadhu AwasthiHindi
2023WalkHindi
2024Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala VideoVidya's motherHindi
2025NadaaniyanMrs. Braganza-MalhotraHindi

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.