Archana Gautam recalls playing a dead body in ‘CID’ for Rs. 3000

5 Dariya News

Mumbai 20-Jun-2026

Actress and former 'Bigg Boss' contestant Archana Gautam went on to open up about the struggles she faced during the early days of her acting career. The actress, appearing on the reality show 'Tum Ho Naa', hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, recalled her initial days where she essayed the role of a dead body in the iconic show CID.

Reflecting on her journey in the entertainment industry, Archana revealed that success did not come easy and that she worked hard through small roles before gaining her well-deserved recognition. Sharing an anecdote from her initial years, 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) The actress further said that according to her, many people are unaware of the challenges that one has to face in this industry for long.

For the uninitiated, Archana Gautam rose to nationwide fame after participating in 'Bigg Boss 16'. Her outspoken personality, unfiltered remarks and entertaining presence made her one of the most talked-about contestants of the season.

She later went on to appear in 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 13'.