Tum Ho Naa Today Episode: Archana Gautam Reveals The Advice That Changed Her Life: "Ravi Kishan Ji..."

Mumbai: The upcoming episode of a Tum Ho Naa - Ghar ki Superstar, hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, is set to witness a heartfelt and inspiring moment as the special guest Archana Gautam speaks up about her struggle and journey of entering the industry, as she reveals how ace Actor Ravi Kishan is the reason she decided to pursue acting.

As in a conversation, Rajeev Khandelwal asked Archana, "aaj jo aap hai, aapki chhavi hai, I am sure Meerut ki aapki jo upbringing rahi hogi, aapki vo bohot alag hogi vo bohot different hai, aasan thaakya aapke liye Meerut se nikal kar Mumbai main aapni ek jagha banana."

("The person you are today, the image and identity you've built I'm sure your upbringing in Meerut was very different. Was it easy for you to leave Meerut and come to Mumbai to carve out a place for yourself?")

Opening up about her struggles, Archana shared that there was a time when even paying INR 20,000 of her college fees seemed impossible, and her mother had to work overtime to collect this amount. To support herself later, she took up different jobs, developed strong sales skills, and worked hard to create her identity. However, when things did not work out as planned, she eventually returned to her hometown, Meerut.

Recalling the turning point in her life, Archana revealed, "Papa ne newspaper mein padha tha ki ek show aaya hua hai, Sales Ka Baazigar, unhone mujhe kaha ki ek baar try karo. Uss show mein apni sales skills dikhani hoti thi, kuch bhi bechna hota tha. Mera selection ho gaya aur wahan Ravi Kishan ji judge the. Unhone mujhe dekha aur kaha, Archana, mujhe lagta hai aap acting ke liye bani ho.'"

("My father had read in the newspaper about a show called Sales Ka Baazigar and suggested that I give it a try. The show was all about showcasing your sales skills you had to sell anything and everything. I got selected, and Ravi Kishan ji was one of the judges. After watching me, he said, 'Archana, I feel you are meant for acting.")

Intrigued by the story, Rajeev asked, "Ravi Kishan ji leke aaye aapko Mumbai main." Continuing the story with a gentle smile, Archana said. "Ravi Kishan ji ne mujhe acting try karne ko kaha. Maine unke personal assistant ka number liya, mere papa ne unse baat ki, aur unhone humein Mumbai bulaya. Main, mere papa aur mera bhai train se Mumbai aaye aur unke ghar gaye. Unhone mujhse poocha ki mujhe kis cheez mein interest hai. Maine kaha, 'Dekho, ab main Katrina Kaif toh ban nahi sakti. Maine kabhi bahut bada sapna nahi dekha. Mujhe toh koi chhota-mota role bhi mil jaaye kisi serial mein, toh bhi main khush ho jaungi.' Unhone kaha, 'Theek hai Archana, tum jao, main tumhe bulata hoon.'"

("Ravi Kishan ji encouraged me to try acting. I took the contact number of his personal assistant, my father spoke to him, and they invited us to Mumbai. My father, my brother, and I travelled to Mumbai by train and visited his home. He asked me what I was interested in. I told him, 'Look, I know I can't become Katrina Kaif. I never dreamed too big. Even if I get a small role in a television serial, I'll be happy.' He smiled and said, 'Alright, Archana. You go ahead, and I'll call you when the time comes.")

Later, Archana also mentioned how her faith guided her through difficult times, reflecting on that she shared, "Abb mujhe nahi pata, main Matarani ki bhakt hu, maine aaj tak jo cheez maangi hai vo mujhe mili hai, kisi buzurg ke mere bank mein paise aaye the 25,000-30,000 ke beech. Maharashtra se kisi buzurg ke paise the, maine paise wapas kar diye, jab main actor ban gai. Mummy ne apne gehne girvi rakhe, tab toh main 33,000 leke aai thi Mumbai."

("I don't know how it all happened, but I am a devoted follower of Goddess Durga, and whatever I have sincerely prayed for, I have received. Once, around ₹25,000-30,000 was mistakenly credited to my bank account. The money belonged to an elderly person from Maharashtra, and I returned it. Later, when I became an actor, my mother even pawned her jewellery so that I could come to Mumbai. At that time, I had only ₹33,000 with me.")

Further sharing about her initial career days, Archana said, "aisa sab log sochte hai bohot easy hoti hai cheeze industry mein, ekdum se kaam mil jata hai. Nahi, infact mera sach aadhe logon ne nahi jana hai ke maine kya kiya hai. Mera teesra serial tha CID, to aapko pata hai usmein ek laash ka role tha aur mujhe woh karna tha aur mujhe per day mil raha tha 3000. To CID mein woh the na senior, main leti hui thi, woh meri aankh khol ke dekh rahe the. Ab mujhe toh aadat nahi hai bhai murda hone ki, toh matlab samajh rahe ho aap, maine woh tak dekha hain, toh main sochti hu maine bohot chote-chote roles kiye hain, bohot saare TV serials mein."

("People often think that everything is very easy in this industry, that you get work overnight. But that's not true. In fact, most people don't know the real struggles I've gone through. My third television show was CID, where I played the role of a dead body, and I was paid ₹3,000 a day. I still remember the senior actors on set checking my eyes while I lay there pretending to be lifeless. I wasn't used to playing a corpse, of course, so it was quite an experience! I've done all of that. Looking back, I feel I've worked really hard, taking on many small roles across several television serials before reaching where I am today.")

Applauding her journey, Rajeev added, "Toh wahi hota hai, hum jab chote-chote kadam rakhte hain, koi sharam nahi hoti, koi kaam chota nahi hota. Inhone pehla jo kaam kiya woh laash bani thi, bataiye.

("That's how it is when we take small steps, there's nothing to be ashamed of. No work is ever too small. Her very first role was that of a dead body just imagine that!")

With such stories of inspiration and determination, and how talent finds its own way, the upcoming episode of Tum Ho Naa celebrates her journey from the small town of Meerut to the city of dreams. It continues to inspire upcoming superstars to keep up their spirits.

Watch Tum Ho Naa Ghar Ki Superstar, hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, every Monday to Friday at 9 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.