[Gelfling]

Welcome to the
Kalinda Sharma | Archie Panjabi
Appreciation Thread

"Archie is smart and sensitive enough
as an actress to make anything fly.
An unusual talent"
- Sir Ridley Scott -


Supporter list
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22. BepperGirl
23. Miss Femina
24. I'm Not Dead
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29. BK.
30. ChrissyDiva
[SIZE=1] 31. light me up



Filmography

Previous Thread

[Gelfling]

Reposting this here for anyone who wishes to discuss it

Archie Panjabi talks about being Kalinda Sharma

[Miss Femina]

Oh, can you please add me to the supporters list.

[Mirani]

Thank you!

Let's not be too hard on the guy, his good looks are all he has left!

I'm only being mean to him because I secretly like him

they only remember she's into ladies during sweeps anyway. That doesn't mean she can't be sexual the rest of the time, right?

Honestly I really don't mind that she's not kissing some random all the time, and I don't like thinking about it in terms of 'all the women could have been replaced with men and they only used women because it's the sweeps.' and sure, maybe it's true but that's just implying women are second-place and plain offensive/disheartening so whatever, I'm just going to enjoy whenever she shows interest in girls.

I hope Kalinda's lesbian following is the one thing stopping them from sticking her with Cary. Because once they do that, they'll lose a loooot of fans

I don't know, not sure they have all that much impact on the show.

I felt she was totally irrelevant. Especially in an episode like Nine Hours.

I think they just wanted to show that Cary is sometimes busy because he has a life. And that Robert King is so up to date with teenagers because he knows that young people are liberated and openly crush on their hot barely older cousins. I'm not really surprised, this show is all about scandalous sex.

maybe. I don't think I'm the only one though.

I was kidding, it's nobody

It was just a euphemism for oral sex. Like Alicia and Peter in the season premiere?

I had completely forgotten about that! Let's stop talking about it for a while so I can go back to being comfortably unaware. I still don't see what's so sexy about oral sex though, you don't even get to see anything.

Reposting this here for anyone who wishes to discuss it

I'm lazy. Is there anything new?

[Gelfling]

Oh, can you please add me to the supporters list.

Done

I'm only being mean to him because I secretly like him

like kicking boys on the playground at recess?

'all the women could have been replaced with men and they only used women because it's the sweeps.' and sure, maybe it's true but that's just implying women are second-place and plain offensive/disheartening so whatever, I'm just going to enjoy whenever she shows interest in girls.

I don't think it is that women are second place, because after all, they haven't shown her with a guy (Blake doesn't count ) for a while. It's just that it's a marketing tool for the ratings and I'd like them to expand a little beyond the November/February/May triad when they remember Kalinda is a strong asset to the show, that's all.

I don't know, not sure they have all that much impact on the show.

If they didn't, they wouldn't pull the sweeps stunt.

I'm not really surprised, this show is all about scandalous sex.

or trying to be. And it ended up being so lame, with all the hoopla in the press about that stupid line

Let's stop talking about it for a while so I can go back to being comfortably unaware

granted!

I still don't see what's so sexy about oral sex though, you don't even get to see anything.

Not too sure. We wouldn't see anything more than what we have anyway. But then we didn't get to see much during the footsie scene with Lana and that was hot
I was just thinking, if they keep escalating things, what's next?

I'm lazy. Is there anything new?

Hehe like what? I don't know if there's news but there are interesting things about her casting, her Emmy win, and the audience's response to Kalinda, her background and the atmosphere on set.

I sorted Archie's actual interview from all the yakety-yak if that makes you feel less lazy

“Even though everything about Kalinda looks very sexy, the intention is not for her to come across as sexy but as someone very focused and reserved. Her job is not to intimidate people but to get information. It’s more about creating a presence.” ... “I am always paranoid before I do a scene. I usually have a very clear idea of what my character would do but with Kalinda, she’s so mysterious ... imagine how it is playing a character that is so complex. How do you do a scene when you don’t fully know what to expect from the character? I am learning to go with my gut. When they say ‘action’ it’s almost like those boots take over. They kind of guide me to do things which I normally would not do,” ... Does she share any traits with Kalinda? “Uhmmm ... no,” she laughs. “I am sure there are similarities between us. We’re different but sometimes I do things on instinct (when in character) and so I learn a little bit about myself as well as Kalinda. Sometimes, when I am in a situation and I don’t know how to resolve it, I find myself wondering what Kalinda would do because she is so able to resolve a problem without getting too emotionally involved. I think if I ever met Kalinda, I would definitely love to hang out with her. People often say they wish they had a friend like that because they’d feel protected by her. I would probably be a little intimidated by her because she doesn’t say much to you. ” ... About her casting “They had seen a lot of actresses for the role and they were about to offer it to somebody else. Then one of the casting associates mentioned my performance in A Mighty Heart and they sent me the script and asked me to put myself on tape. Normally in America, you can go for five or six castings before you are seen by the executives. But they really liked the way I had done the recording and so as soon as they saw it, they offered me the role. It was the easiest casting I’ve had in my career,” ... “I didn’t really know much about the role of an investigator. I kind of just thought of detectives ... you know, Sherlock Holmes, and Cagney and Lacey. I was at a dinner about the time we were doing the pilot episode and I was sitting next to Matt Czuchry who plays Cary (Argos) and I remember telling him how nervous I was because I didn’t know what to do with this character. Kalinda is so mysterious. I was worried that if the character just doesn’t work, they would re-cast me. This was such a dangerous character and I wanted to please everyone. I really wanted to come back and do the season because I loved it. And Matt gave me the best piece of advice. He said: ‘Archie, you are never going to please everybody, so if you sit there worrying about pleasing all the executives, it’s not gonna happen. You should follow your gut and play the character the way you want to.’ “That was really the best piece of advice. I just made decisions based on what I felt was right rather than trying to do the right thing for the American public or for an American show,” ... “When they tested the pilot with a test audience, one of the things that scored very highly was the character of Kalinda and the relationship between her and Alicia. As a result, the writers knew they had something very interesting with the character. The response from the audiences was a lot better than they anticipated and so they developed it ... which has all been very fortunate for me.” ... “I think I am one of those actresses who gets bored quite easily if I really understand everything about the character. It becomes almost robotic, which is why I haven’t really done much television. Most of my previous work tends to be in film. But with this character, because she is so ambiguous, its exciting and keeps me interested. The thing about this series is you never know what the back story really is. I was told in the beginning, the character was an investigator who may come in and out of the series. I don’t think the role was meant to be as big as what they made it, which has been very fortunate for me. But I remember when I read it (the script), I felt there was something really strong and interesting about this character. She’s so different from anything I’ve done or anything I’ve seen on television. I definitely got a good feeling about it.” ... About Kalinda's background “Kalinda is really a work-in progress. My suspicion is that, she is the way she is because of survival. She has obviously had something in her life that affected her. It’s almost like people have let her down. In one of the last few episodes (of Season Two) she has a line where she tells Will that she doesn’t have to confide in anyone. To me, when a character says something like that, she may have been hurt a lot or let down a lot in the past and her way of surviving is to divorce herself (from feeling) and move on.” ... About her win at the Emmys “I didn’t hear my full name. I just heard ‘Ar...’ and was getting ready to clap for somebody else. I hadn’t prepared a speech. I was so shocked. People in the business had actually told me: ‘You know Archie, it’s a great character but you’re not hugely known’. I really convinced myself that I didn’t have a chance. When they announced my name ... I was ecstatic and a bit emotional. I wasn’t able to speak. Then I realised that the whole world was going to be watching this speech for years to come, and I had better think of saying the right things. It’s amazing how the human body is, it somehow just gets on with it and I was able to come up with something. I was okay after I gave the speech.” ... About the show “The characters are all layered and the performances are very nuanced. It’s not over-written. It’s the kind of drama where you really have to watch it to understand what’s going on. You can’t sit in the other room ironing or making a cup of tea and know. It’s actually watching what’s not being said that’s important. I think this challenges audiences. In today’s world, there is so much variety and choice in TV dramas and I think people want something that’s a little more stimulating. Also, the characters resonate with people. Even the good wife is not necessarily ‘good’ as you will see in the finale. It shows people as they really are. The reality is that no one is perfect. No one is completely imperfect. I think people connect to that,” ... “It’s quite a relaxed set. We work long hours, so there needs to be some lightness on set. There is a lot of legal jargon to learn and when you’re working 16 hours a day, sometimes that legal jargon is too much. I mean, we’re not lawyers, we’re just actors and sometimes the words are so hard to remember. To lighten the atmosphere, sometimes when someone is on camera, the others will be trying to make him or her laugh. You really have to be very strong in order not to laugh. It gets really hard to look at the (other) actors’ eyes because they’ve got a mischievous smile on their face,” she shares, with a laugh. Who’s the naughtiest one? “I think people would probably tell you that I laugh the most, which is really ironic. I am very bad at corpsing. If I catch somebody’s eye, I’ll laugh and once I start laughing, I find it very difficult to stop ... sometimes the whole crew starts laughing as well and we have to remind ourselves to be serious or the bosses might tell us off,”

[Det.Logan]

TFTNT

[Miss Femina]

we didn't get to see much during the footsie scene with Lana and that was hot

this scene. I think I can even say that to me, it's probably the hottest scene from both seasons...
You don't need to see everything! Just use your imagination, and it can be even better!

“When they tested the pilot with a test audience, one of the things that scored very highly was the character of Kalinda and the relationship between her and Alicia."

So producers and writers fed us with the growth of their friendship, and when they saw we were totally conquered by their friendship, they decided to implode the whole thing, knowing fully well the damage it would cause. This is called the torture ....

It’s actually watching what’s not being said that’s important

The TGW lives much of the subtleties and what is not being said. The fact that force us to think and look deep at what we see and hear is one of the many reasons that makes me like the show.

It's nice to hear about the good atmosphere between the cast and on set.

Usually my fear is that, either audiences or the success of the show, or the ego of the actors, in the course of time the show may loose all the good things, those that make it a show different from the others.

[I'm Not Dead]

May I be added to the Supporter list?

The TGW lives much of the subtleties and what is not being said. The fact that force us to think and look deep at what we see and hear is one of the many reasons that makes me like the show.

Definitely. There are a lot of shows during which I can clean up the living room or send a text on my iPhone because the show is all in what I can hear. But so much of TGW is in what you see or have to infer, so it always demands my full attention. I love that.

[Mirani]

like kicking boys on the playground at recess?

no but it's funny how saying that makes it okay.

I sorted Archie's actual interview from all the yakety-yak if that makes you feel less lazy

Thanks, it is an interesting interview. And I learned the useful word corpsing.

Originally Posted by Archie I didn’t hear my full name. I just heard ‘Ar...’ and was getting ready to clap for somebody else. I hadn’t prepared a speech.

Well, 'this is great for my career' always works

Just use your imagination, and it can be even better!

That's great for a book, not so much for TV.

[Kiki17]

TFTNT

Totally count me in as one of those girls "gay for Kalinda"

[Gelfling]

May I be added to the Supporter list?

Gladly

Totally count me in as one of those girls "gay for Kalinda"

as if we didn't know that! You're our standard bearer!

And I learned the useful word corpsing.

that. I didn't even know that existed. And now we know SOMETHING Archie is bad at

Well, 'this is great for my career' always works

At least that was honest

this scene. I think I can even say that to me, it's probably the hottest scene from both seasons... You don't need to see everything! Just use your imagination, and it can be even better!

it's the way they act it that make it hot. You don't need to see anything. It came remarkably close to what Lily imagined for the scene, right Kiki? Perv Genius!

That's great for a book, not so much for TV.

There are things they just won't show on tv. Cable or other. So if they can convey the hotness without having to actually show what's going on, it's just as well. Even better in fact because there's this... tantalizing appeal of things unseen

So producers and writers fed us with the growth of their friendship, and when they saw we were totally conquered by their friendship, they decided to implode the whole thing, knowing fully well the damage it would cause. This is called the torture ....

That's what I wondered when I read it. But I think they were surprised it worked so well in the pilot and then they just forgot about it a little. How much A/K did we get in S2? It's ridiculous! They talk about "core relationship" now but if it was, they would have not let it drift into nothingness in S2.

So then they did this and the reactions reminded them how important it was for almost everyone watching the show.
Unlike the love triangle and romances, there seems to be a wide consensus because there's no factions. SO now they screwed up and they are left with a sticky situation to be fixed.

But yeah I wouldn't bet on them fixing it too soon because they seem to enjoy their angst. We'll see.

The fact that force us to think and look deep at what we see and hear is one of the many reasons that makes me like the show.

and it's one thing that hasn't changed in S2.

But so much of TGW is in what you see or have to infer, so it always demands my full attention. I love that.

same here. And you see more every time you watch an episode.

It's nice to hear about the good atmosphere between the cast and on set.

We want gag reeeeeels

Usually my fear is that, either audiences or the success of the show, or the ego of the actors, in the course of time the show may loose all the good things, those that make it a show different from the others.

It seems like there aren't a lof of big egos on the set so we're alright on that. Now my fear is that the writers keep pushing the envelope and take "risks" until the shock factor outweighs the characterization. I'd say they already came dangerously close with Kalinda this season.

[Mirani]

There are things they just won't show on tv.

I'm not asking for porn, I'm asking for something more artistic than nothing.

They talk about "core relationship" now but if it was, they would have not let it drift into nothingness in S2

Yeah, I don't know what they're talking about I think it's more of a core relationship by default since they can't break them up constantly like they would to romantic couples.

[Gelfling]

I'm not asking for porn, I'm asking for something more artistic than nothing.

I got it (not a fan of porn ) but yeah I think Kalinda's got the hottest scenes on the show. We haven't seen a lot of anything for the others really and that was... hot. I didn't need shots of Lana's foot other than what we got. I liked the way it was shot.

I think it's more of a core relationship by default since they can't break them up constantly like they would to romantic couples.

And yet they did, those bastards
But I think what they mean is that it's a "real" relationship and goes deeper than romance can really go on a tv show. I credit the actresses for that, personally. Their chemistry is out of this world.
Or maybe they just mean that now that they realize how many people like it (unlike the love triangle), it's something they know they'll have to focus on hence the "core" thing.

[Mirani]

I didn't need shots of Lana's foot other than what we got

Well I needed them like, what the hell was going on?! I think we're supposed to think that Kalinda was getting horny because Lana's foot was supposedly at the apex of her legs, but it really wasn't obvious, kind of like when Kalinda was supposedly grabbing Blake's balls. God this is getting dirty.

And yet they did, those bastards

Well, not really, they did it once, but it's not like they can keep doing it. Apparently for romance it's okay because they're in love so everybody forgives them whereas for "just" friends, at some point it's over.

it's something they know they'll have to focus on hence the "core" thing

let's hope so! but it doesn't look good since they're not even talking, nobody knows if they can become friends again and everybody is speculating that at the soonest they're going to talk to each other 10 episodes in

[Gelfling]

Well I needed them like, what the hell was going on?!

I think we're supposed to think that Kalinda was getting horny because Lana's foot was supposedly at the apex of her legs, but it really wasn't obvious

Seriously? you're killing me right now. I'd say your mind isn't dirty enough, girl! We need to work on that

God this is getting dirty.

It's about damn time! It's the Kalinda thread!!

Well, not really, they did it once, but it's not like they can keep doing it.

Let's hope so

ut it doesn't look good since they're not even talking, nobody knows if they can become friends again and everybody is speculating that at the soonest they're going to talk to each other 10 episodes in

We'll see. I think they realized they made a big mistake sacrificing the A/K friendship to break up Peter and Alicia. In the end, most people care more about A/K than A/P or even A/W.
So I'd say they will be working on it. Not sure how long it will take them to go back to what it was (or hopefully better) but they won't leave things in a stalemate for long, which is what I was worried about.