Archana Puran Singh on breaking MIL stereotypes, says 'my sons' partners are my daughters now'
Mumbai, July 23
Actress Archana Puran Singh has opened up about her relationship with her to-be daughters-in-law Yogita Bihani and Samiksha Shetty, saying she treats them as her own daughters.
She added that she believes kindness towards them is not extraordinary but simply a matter of being human.
Speaking about embracing her sons' life partners, Archana, in an exclusive conversation with IANS, said, " It's not difficult. You just have to be human. You love your children. Your children have chosen someone to be their life partner. You automatically will love them."
The actress reflected on her own experiences as a daughter-in-law, saying she consciously chose not to repeat any negative experiences she may have faced.
"There's a saying that if something happened to you, you'll do the same. But there's also the opposite, that you'll never do what happened to you. I belong to the latter. If anything bad happened to me as a daughter-in-law, I would never want to repeat it," she shared.
Archana added that ever since her sons found their partners, she has looked at them as part of the family.
"I had two sons before. Now I have two daughters too. If you look at it from that perspective, there will be no difference," she said.
The actress also dismissed the notion that her approach deserves any special appreciation.
"I don't want any address or to be called great. Whatever you see on screen or off screen, this is genuinely who I am. That's the way I behave with my future daughters-in-law. There is no greatness in this. If you are a nice person, if you are a genuine human being with a conscience, you will behave like this. So I don't think I deserve any special mention for this," she stated.
Archana further said that society often unfairly stereotypes mothers-in-law because of television dramas.
"People say Archana's behaviour is very good, but I think millions of mothers-in-law are brilliant with their daughters-in-law. The ones who come into the limelight are those shown in television soaps, the bad mother-in-law. That's a stereotypical image. Nowadays, there are very few stereotypical mothers-in-law, and I hope by the time I become one, that stereotype will be over," she added.
Archana Puran Singh has been married to actor Parmeet Sethi since 1992. The couple has two sons, Aryamann and Ayushmaan Sethi.
Archana's elder son, Aryamann Sethi, is in a relationship with actress Yogita Bihani, while her younger son, Ayushmaan Sethi, is dating fitness and yoga influencer Samiksha Shetty.
Archana has often shared glimpses of their family life through her vlogs and social media posts.
On the work front, Archana Puran Singh will be seen in the OTT project, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya. The actress expressed her sheer excitement for the same and stated that it is one of a kind role of her life. The show will release on July 24.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate her sentiment, let's not pretend this is the norm everywhere. In many Indian households, the mother-in-law still expects the bahu to adjust completely. Archana ji is lucky to have educated, modern sons who chose partners independently. Real change will come when the older generation also unlearns these regressive patterns. Still, kudos to her for speaking up.
"I had two sons before. Now I have two daughters too." This line touched my heart. It's all about perspective. If every MIL thought this way, Indian families would be so much happier. Also love how she kept it real by admitting she consciously chose NOT to repeat negative experiences. That self-awareness is rare. 🙏
This is a refreshing take coming from a Bollywood celebrity. In the West, we often see the "Indian saas-bahu" dynamic portrayed purely as comedic or dramatic. It's nice to see an Indian mother openly welcoming her sons' partners with such grace. Makes me appreciate the evolving family dynamics in India too.
The point about TV serials stereotyping MILs is spot on! For decades, saas-bahu dramas have conditioned us to expect conflict. What about the millions of loving saas-bahu relationships that never make it to TV? Happy to see someone like Archana ji using her platform to change the narrative. Also her refusing to be called "great" for basic human decency - exactly the humility we need.
Beautiful outlook! But I do think the media shouldn't make a hero out of someone just for being decent to their daughter-in-law. It shows how low the bar is
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