On World Laughter Day, Archana Puran Singh reflects on the sound that has become synonymous with her — her unmistakable, full-bodied laugh. But even as audiences celebrate it, she is careful to put it in perspective. Uninhibited laughter, she insists, is not as rare as it is made out to be; it is just that hers plays out on screen.
“I think a lot of people do laugh from their hearts. It is only that I am on camera, so you see my laughter more,” she says, pointing to the unfiltered joy she sees around her — at home with her sons, among friends, and even in public figures. “My sons laugh totally from the belly… I feel Sunita Ahuja has a bigger laugh than mine. And I love Kajol’s laugh — she laughs from the heart.”
Archana’s chat with us moves between humour and honesty — reminding you that behind the iconic laugh is a life lived fully, flaws, contradictions, and all.
‘Almost everything has a funny side to it — I look at life through that lens’
Laughter has, however, sometimes coexisted with challenging moments in her life. Recalling her time on the show Comedy Circus, she shares, “I was on set when I got the news that my mother-in-law had passed away. We were just about to shoot, and I said I have to leave. But they asked me if I could give my reactions first. So, I had to sit there and do a small laugh, then a medium laugh, then a loud laugh. I remember thinking... How bizarre is this?”
The incident, she says, is a stark reminder of the industry’s demands. “It is not a cliché — the show must go on.” She recalls another moment when her young son was unwell and pleaded with her not to leave. “He said, ‘Mamma, don’t go,’ but I had to go and shoot all day. Those moments stay with you forever… the guilt, the trauma.”
For Archana, humour is not an escape route. She shares, “Humour is not my escape, it is part of my life. I try not to take myself too seriously. Almost everything has a funny side to it — I look at life through that lens.” At home, laughter is a shared affair. “In the house, I make people laugh the most, sometimes it is a competition between my older one, Aaryamann, and me. I love to mimic people, and my son always tells me I make situations far funnier than they really are. But honestly, they are the ones who make me laugh,” she shares.
‘You can’t please everybody, someone will always find something objectionable’
On the evolving nature of comedy, the actress takes a wide, inclusive view. Shows like The Kapil Sharma Show continue to represent family-friendly humour, while newer voices such as Samay Raina explore edgier spaces. “There are takers for all kinds of comedy… and I find neither objectionable,” she says.
Ultimately, she believes humour is deeply subjective. “You cannot please everybody, someone or the other will always find something objectionable. So how do you eliminate everything? You have the remote — just don’t watch it,” she says, adding, “In a country as diverse as India, one kind of humour cannot appeal to all. Comedy is evolving, and when anything changes, there will always be a little discomfort. That is true art.”
‘Some people love my laugh, some don’t… it’s fine’
Archana points to a social conditioning that often restrains women from expressing joy freely. “A lot of women are taught not to laugh out loud because it is considered unfeminine, and it does not sound nice. It is only because I have been on shows that my laughter has become more noticeable,” she explains.
Despite the popularity of her trademark laugh, she is quick to assert that it does not define her entirely. “I am much more than just a laughter queen. I have been an actor for 30-40 years now. To be known only for your laughter… I have no complaints, but I do feel that I am much more than that. Some people love my laugh, some don’t — but as long as they are talking about me, it is fine,” says Archana.
