Last week, British-Indian Archie Panjabi walked away with an Emmy in a category that was packed with famous names and crackling talent. She also walked away with praise to last her a lifetime. She talks to Sunday MiD DAY about what it felt like to stand up there on the stage, why she went from being Archana Kaur to Archie and how she has had to explain her arranged marriage to the British press

Last Sunday, television's gorgeous and talented gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate their peers at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards. There were many shocked, happy and nervous faces who got up on stage to thank those responsible for their win. None, however, were as stunned as Archie Panjabi, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Good Wife.


Archie Punjabi won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a
Drama Series at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held in
Los Angeles on August 29, 2010

The 38 year-old British-Indian plays Kalinda Sharma, a private investigator with a complicated personal life. She makes up for this with her biting sarcasm. In interviews after her Emmy win, Panjabi proudly declared that she is an Emmy-virgin no more, and her cherry has been popped.

However, this is not her first time in the spotlight. Panjabi was seen in Bend It Like Beckham as elder sister Pinky, who's all set to have her very own Big Fat Indian Wedding. She also played Om Puri's tomboy daughter in East is East. Moving away from the comedy genre, Panjabi won The Chopard Trophy for a Breakout Performance at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as Pakistani journalist Asra Nomani in A Mighty Heart, and the Shooting Star Award at the Berlin Film Festival for her title role in Yasmin, a Simon Beaufoy-written film. She tells Sunday MiD DAY in a telephonic interview, that it's her Emmy win that has her in the mood to celebrate for now.

How did the journey to the Emmys begin?
I arrived on Friday and met the cast members. Then, I got the dress and matched it with the shoes and jewellery. It was a very relaxed and calm day. My gown (a chocolate brown off-shoulder number) was by Tadashi Shoji, the shoes were by Christian Louboutin, and the jewellery was from Chopard.