Archana Puran Singh recalls having only ₹11 for a meal: ‘I used to spend ₹10 on dosa and ₹1 on tip’

Archana Puran Singh shared her journey from struggle to success in her latest vlog, reminiscing about her early days in Mumbai.

Bollywood actor Archana Puran Singh entertains the audience with her candid and light-hearted YouTube vlogs, where she often shares glimpses of her personal and professional life with her family. In her latest vlog, she took her fans along as she and her family stepped out to enjoy a traditional Gujarati Thali in Mumbai as part of the Navratri celebrations. During the vlog, Archana opened up about her early days of struggle in the city, recalling how every rupee counted during those times.

Archana Puran Singh talks about her struggling days.

Archana Puran Singh recalls her struggling days

As they reached a restaurant, Archana recalled, “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 (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)."

In the same vlog, after watching Yogita Bihani eat, Archana quipped, “Isse better bahu nahi aa sakti thi ghar mein kyunki jaise main khati thi jab yeh (Parmeet) mila tha mujhse… Mere ko itni knowledge nahi thi ki aise banta hai, vaise banta hai, mujhe bas pata tha taste. Paranthe khao toh 7-8. Makhan ke sath khao. That is what he was impressed by. I am now impressed by her. Yeh mere se bhi better khati hai (There couldn’t have been a better daughter-in-law for our family, because I used to eat the same way when Parmeet first met me. I didn’t know how dishes were made; I only knew about the taste. If there were parathas, I would eat seven or eight with butter. That was what impressed him. Now, I am impressed by her. She eats even better than me).”

Archana Puran Singh's recent work

Archana has often spoken about her struggles, revealing how her mother once sent her to Mumbai from Delhi with just one suitcase. She made her Bollywood debut at the age of 20 in BR Chopra’s Nikaah. She went on to feature in films such as Agneepath, Saudagar, Shola Aur Shabnam, Aashiq Awara, and Raja Hindustani. Some of her other memorable roles were in Bol Bachchan, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein and more.

Most recently, she appeared in Karan Johar’s Nadaaniyan, featuring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor in lead roles. The film opened to negative reviews, with both Ibrahim and Khushi receiving criticism for their performances. The film is currently streaming on Netflix. She was also seen as the permanent guest in Kapil Sharma's The Great Indian Kapil Show alongside Navjot Singh Sidhu