ARCHANA PURAN SINGH

-Written by Satya Wanvari, Contributing Editor

A young and innocent 18 year old girl from a small town, Dehradun, came to Mumbai alone with only one possession...a dream. The dream became a reality after eight long years of struggle. Today, she is Archana Puran Singh, a successful television actress, anchor and a matinee star. Every time she plays a role or anchors a programme, she becomes firmly etched in the audience's memory, whether it is the modern wife in Mr and Mrs. or the host of 'Censored' or 'Wah, Kya Scene Hai'.

All this has not happened overnight. As Archana herself reveals, it has been a long journey. She started with an ad film for which she was paid Rs 100 for standing on the sidelines, and continued with more ad films of unknown brands until she modeled for `Band-Aid'.

Jalal Agha, then the producer of the ad film recognized her talent and cast her in the lead role in his serial,`Mr and Mrs'. After Pankaj Parasher's, 'Karamchand', she shot to fame with the film 'Jalwa' and has never looked back since. Today she is in a position to work on her own terms. She shoots only 2 days in a month for her current television projects, 'Jaane bhi do Paro' and 'Archana Talkies' on Sony and does only one film a year as her two small children are her priority. As she herself puts it very aptly, "for every one Archana who makes it in this industry, there are million others who go back disappointed."

So what does it take to get there? "It is my desire for perfection that keeps me going. I never settle for the second best. I am extremely hardworking. When I shoot, I work 20 hours a day. I don't even take lunchbreak. When I was pregnant, I worked throughout the nine months until my doctor threatened to call the police. From 8 am to 10 pm I would be on my feet. I resumed working after four days after my delivery to complete an important project."

According to Archana, determination, hard work, ambition are the keywords for success. She warns the struggling actor though to be honest with himself/herself and not waste his/her time if he/she is not talented. "Believe in yourself" is another motto she vouches for. "But there is a difference between genuine ambition and empty ambition".

Many people told Archana, she was wasting her time but it was her belief in herself that carried her through. "Just as much as talented young actors need a break, so do directors need really talented actors."

Archana Puran Singh's Acting Tips

Preparation is the first rule of the game
You can never over-prepare. Use the struggle period to learn more. Read Hindi books and plays and watch movies, especially Hollywood fare, where even an actor playing a small role does it to perfection.

Use the mirror
Practice scenes in front of the mirror. Select some Hindi film scenes that move you and perform as if you were the artiste playing the role.

Work on your Hindi speech and diction
This is an essential part of an actor's portfolio. If your command over Hindi is strong, you will be in a position to intonate right and emote even better.

Improve your personality and confidence by meeting people and reading
Remember, if you can impress a person in 5 minutes, then you can be trusted to impress millions of people, when on screen.

Be well groomed
Look and smell clean.
Nails should be well kept and nail polish should never be chipped.
Archana always wears white nail polish. Don't just put perfume before meeting someone. Take a shower, wear clean, well-ironed clothes. Have a good haircut even if it is expensive as an expensive dress will not help as much as the daily hairstyle you sport. Your hair is your crowning glory.

Be physically active
Maintain a good posture. Walk or exercise at least three times a week. A supple body is required for every role and not everybody becomes a Guddi Maruti. Archan never sits even when she is at home. She goes shopping with her son, swims and does the odd jobs at home herself instead of ordering the maid.

Follow a vegetarian diet and keep it light
Eat lots of greens and fruit. Avoid red meats and stick to a vegetable cuisine. Archana uses only five teaspoons of oil a day for food.

Girls should never wear foundation in the day
A light lipstick for the fair complexion and a brown lipstick For a dark complexion is ideal.

Look at yourself in the mirror carefully and wear what suits you the best.
If you don't want to give the wrong signals to producers , don't dress in minis when you meet them for work.

If you get a small role, do not refuse
You will be noticed if you are talented. Use the role to make a show reel to promote your self.

Above all a single-minded devotion is what it takes to achieve you goal.