Comedy Circus is a stress buster

Archana Puran Singh, the ha-ha judge on the popular show 'Comedy Circus', talks about the show and why she loves just being a part of itA 'Comedy Circus' has given me so much name, fame and money that I would hate myself doing any other job than this! Tanuja M It is a miracle to keep on laughing at jokes and gags for six long years and that is what Archana Puran Singh has been doing all these years on 'Comedy Circus'. While the show over the past six years has undergone change in the titles, anchors and participants and even the co-judge's chair next to Archana has seen many different faces, Archana has been the steady companion of the show over the years. Ask her about this and she laughs her throaty laugh and says, "I am thoroughly enjoying what I am doing and they pay me so well, so I am happy from the bottom of my heart. 'Comedy Circus' has given me so much name, fame and money that I would hate myself doing any other job than this!" Despite being a judge on the show, Archana has been the butt of many a jokes and spoofs woven around her and her director husband Parmeet Sethi. Ask her about it and she says, "Why would I feel bad? That is the format and the participants are given liberty to make fun of us. I have never found it in bad taste. In fact, Bharti Singh in one of the episodes has done a spoof on me wherein she plays Archana and when she comes to know that the producers are removing me from the show, she says 'I don't care' but as soon as she sees the producers she melodramatically falls at their feet saying 'Please don't do this'! That is exactly how I will feel if I ever leave the show!" Archana maintains that the laughter therapy is doing wonders for her, however, it does sometimes bug her when she has to be in a happy mood even when she is having a bad day. "There are times when I come on the sets in a sad mood or hear some news just before we start the shoot, and on such days I feel that I will not be able to laugh at the jokes. But even as I am walking towards the sets from my van people already point out to me and start laughing as if I am a joker. That does bug me but once I am on the sets and on the judge's chair I forget everything. 'Comedy Circus' acts as a real stress buster for me." Archana who has seen many changes in the co-judge's chair next to her says that amongst all she will miss Sohail Khan the most, "And not because of the amazing biryani that he used to get for all of us" she adds jokingly. Her grief is short-lived since it is now Sohail's brother Arbaaz Khan who will be her co-judge in the new season of 'Comedy Circus' ke Ajoobe'. "If not for Arbaaz, I would have missed Sohail even more. Arbaaz is so sweet. He is most welcome in place of Sohail. Arbaaz has a very mad, whacky sense of humor which we will discover in the show. He can lock horns with you unlike Sohail who was very seedha. Agar Arbaaz ki phirki lenge then he will also do the same with you so I am really looking forward to having a whale of a time with him." At the end of the day Archana who is mother of two teenage sons wants to just go home and that is the best part according to her, "Mine is a job any mother would love to have. I shoot for 'Comedy Circus' only for one day in a week and I am paid loads for it, so the rest of the six days I don't have to work and I am not so passionate about cinema. I spend time with my family." But that does not mean you will see Archana in the kitchen cooking for her family, "I married Parmeet only on the condition that I will not enter the kitchen and I have tried to keep my promise till date" jokes Archana. "But now I have learned to cook Italian food for my kids since my cook was not there and they wanted me to cook. Today I cook amazing Italian food for them and they are the happiest," says a beaming Archana.