Bollywood actor and popular television personality Archana Puran Singh recently gave fans a candid look into her past struggles in Mumbai through her latest YouTube vlog. The video, which followed Archana and her family as they enjoyed a traditional Gujarati Thali for Navratri, included a moment of reflection on her initial financial hardships in the city.
The ₹10 Dosa Days
While reaching a restaurant, Archana recalled a time when every rupee counted during her early days as an aspiring actor. She shared a memory about her visits to a specific eatery:
“Ek waqt tha jab yaha Vihaar bhi hota tha aur ₹10 ka dosa hota tha aur mere paas sirf ₹10 hi hote the and ₹1 on tip. My friends used to ask why I didn’t have Lassi, and I used to say because I only had ₹11 and I could only spend that much, and that was also enough for me.”
(Translation: There was a time when Vihaar used to be here, and a dosa cost ₹10. I only had ₹10 and ₹1 for a tip. My friends used to ask why I wasn’t having lassi, and I would say that I only had ₹11, and that was all I could spend. But even that was enough for me).
Archana has previously spoken about her move to Mumbai from Delhi, revealing that her mother had sent her off with just one suitcase.
Praising Her Daughter-in-Law’s Appetite
The vlog also featured a light-hearted moment where Archana praised her daughter-in-law, Yogita Bihani, for her enthusiastic eating habits, drawing a parallel to her own early relationship with her husband, Parmeet Sethi.
“Isse better bahu nahi aa sakti thi ghar mein kyunki jaise main khati thi jab yeh (Parmeet) mila tha mujhse… That is what he was impressed by. I am now impressed by her. Yeh mere se bhi better khati hai,” Archana quipped.
She recalled that Parmeet was impressed by her own hearty appetite—specifically her love for eating “seven or eight parathas with butter”—and noted that her daughter-in-law eats “even better” than she used to.
Archana’s Career Journey
Archana Puran Singh made her Bollywood debut at the age of 20 in B.R. Chopra’s Nikaah. Her filmography includes memorable roles in movies like Agneepath, Saudagar, Shola Aur Shabnam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Mohabbatein.
Most recently, she appeared in Karan Johar’s Nadaaniyan, which starred Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor, and she also continues to be a familiar face on television as the permanent guest on Kapil Sharma’s The Great Indian Kapil Show.