This is an archive article published on May 3, 2025
Parmeet Sethi says Archana Puran Singh was against his acting career, always criticised him: ‘Tu kabhi actor ban hi nahi sakta, tujhe toh smile karne hi nahi aata’
Parmeet Sethi shared that his wife Archana Puran Singh's criticism often left him in tears, yet he never gave up on his acting career.
Parmeet Sethi and Archana Puran Singh have been married since 1992. The couple kept it a secret for many years until Archana got pregnant with their first child. While Archana was a part of the film industry already, Parmeet Sethi marked his Bollywood debut only three years after his secret marriage to Archana. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Parmeet Sethi revealed how Archana was dead against his acting career, and told him, “Tu kabhi actor ban hi nahi sakta (You can never be an actor).”
In a conversation with SCREEN, Parmeet said that he thought of becoming an actor after failing at his business. He said, “I tried to start two different business ideas, but I failed in both. I had nothing more to do. After the failure, I was confused ki kya karu. Archana was against my acting career. She said don’t do it, it is full of struggles. I said, ‘If I will fail as an actor, I will be responsible for myself but in business external factors are making my business fail.’ I always knew I can pull off acting. I looked at Archana and I said, ‘Yaar, mai karlunga.'”
When asked if Archana ever helped him get his debut role, Parmeet said, “She is the strictest teacher you can ever come across. Usne meri jo dahijya udayi thi (she criticised me so much) when I wanted to become an actor. She used to yell at me every day. ‘Tu kabhi actor ban hi nahi sakta, tujhe toh smile karne hi nahi aata (You can never be an actor, you don’t even know how to smile.)’ I used to be in tears when she used to criticise me. But I was stubborn, I worked on myself. I was not a great actor at first, but eventually I learnt the skill.”
Parmeet credited Archana with helping him prepare for his role in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. “I was from Bombay and she was from North, so she was well-versed with the kind of language used there. She added a lot of uniqueness to my character Kuljeet.”
He also discussed their famous YouTube vlogs, which has gained them over 671,000 subscribers in just four months. Sharing how it all started for them, Parmeet shared, “I had no idea about vlogs. It was Archana and my younger son who asked me why don’t I do YouTube and Instagram. They said, ‘During the lockdown, your videos went viral, people loved to see your fun banter with out maid Bhagyashree.’ Archana decided we should continue with our vlogs. I was never part of those conversations. I am not a very active person on my social media. It happened so that within in 2 days, three big companies approached us to do our YouTube production.”
He added, “When people approached us, Archana went and met them and then she decided to start this. I was like, ‘Kya karoge?’ She said, ‘Covid mein karti thi, we will do same stuff, kya pata chal jaye (we used to do all this during COVID, let’s try the same stuff, what if it works for us?).’ When they pushed so much, I reluctantly said okay and that’s how we started.”
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Parmeet said as part of his preparation he began to watch the YouTube channels of comedian Bharti Singh and choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan to understand how it all works. He said, “Our first episode itself hit 3 million views. Every video started to gain same sort of views. It eventually became a mix of fun and podcast when we started to invite guests on our channel.”
When asked who the brain behind the themes of these vlogs is, Parmeet shared, “We jointly decide themes and topics for our vlogs. We keep experimenting with out content. Lately, we are doing food vlogging because we received great response for that.”
So far the family has shared about 95 videos, with most of them hitting over a million views.
Jyothi Jha is an incisive Copy Editor and multi-platform journalist at The Indian Express, where she specializes in high-stakes entertainment reporting and cinematic analysis. With over six years of diverse experience across India’s leading media houses, she brings a rigorous, ethics-first approach to digital storytelling and editorial curation.
Experience & Career
Jyothi’s career is characterized by its breadth and depth across the media landscape. Before joining the editorial team at The Indian Express, she honed her expertise covering the entertainment beat for premier national broadcasters, including NDTV, Republic Media, and TV9. Her professional journey is not limited to digital text; she has a proven track record as an on-air anchor and has successfully managed production teams within the high-pressure segments of Politics and Daily News. This 360-degree view of newsroom operations allows her to navigate the complexities of modern journalism with veteran precision.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Guided by the Orwellian principle that "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do," Jyothi focuses on transparent, accountability-driven reporting. Her core areas of expertise include:
Cinematic Deconstruction: Analyzing the social subtext of mainstream Bollywood and South Indian cinema (e.g., Kantara, Masaan, Dabangg).
Toxic Masculinity & Gender Studies: A vocal critic of regressive tropes in Indian cinema, she often highlights the industry's treatment of women and social progress.
Box Office & Industry Economics: Providing data-backed predictions and analysis of film performance and superstar fee structures.
Exclusive Multimedia Coverage: Conducting deep-dive interviews and long-form features that bridge the gap between archival history and modern pop culture.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Jyothi Jha has established herself as a trusted voice by prioritizing substance over PR-driven narratives. Her background in hard news and political production provides her with a unique lens through which she views the entertainment industry—not merely as gossip, but as a reflection of societal values. Readers rely on her for "Journalism of Courage," knowing her critiques are rooted in a deep respect for the craft and a refusal to settle for superficiality. Her ability to pivot between daily news and specialized entertainment analysis makes her a versatile and authoritative pillar of The Indian Express newsroom.
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Parmeet Sethi says Archana Puran Singh was against his acting career. (Photo: Parmeet Sethi/Instagram)