Emmy winning The Good Wife star Archie Panjabi discusses the many loves of bisexual investigator extraordinaire Kalinda Sharma in a new interview with AfterEllen.
Critically acclaimed since it premiered in 2009, The Good Wife is now in its third season, and while Golden Globe and Emmy winner Julianna Margulies anchors the show as attorney, mom, friend and spurned wife Alicia Florrick, Panjabi’s Kalinda is a break-out favorite with fans as much for her bed-hopping as for her ability to hack or break into just about anything to save the day.
Notoriously taciturn, Kalinda rarely speaks about her relationships, many of which have been with women, but Panjabi gave AE a little insight into her perception of Kalinda and her love life, discussing Kelli Giddish’s departure to costar on Law & Order: SVU, Kalinda’s flirtation with Dana (Monica Raymund) and FBI Agent Lana Delaney’s return.
Last season Kalinda had a terrific on-again / off-again thing going with investigator Sophia Russo, played by Giddish who is now on SVU. Panjabi told AE that the writers had a terrific storyline planned for Giddish before she landed the SVU gig. "I got on with Kelli Giddish so well, “ Panjabi said. “We had a great chemistry between us. Sadly she got signed up by Special Victims Unit, which is great for her but I was really upset because we had a storyline with me, Cary and Sophia. And still today the writers talk about it with sparkles in their eyes but they won't talk about it, they won't tell me what it was. Hopefully one day, what was cut short will be explored."
Panjabi said she thinks Kalinda and Sophia had a long history together that would have eventually offered more insight into Kalinda’s psyche. Regarding that steamy post and then pre-coital scene she and Giddish had together last season Panjabi said, “And the scene that Kelli and I did together, she always had this smile on her face which made my character very kind of relaxed. She always a twinkle in her eye, like she knew what was on Kalinda's mind."
On the subject of Kalinda’s season three flirtation with ASA Dana Lodge, played by Monica Raymund, Panjabi told AE, “I think even though Kalinda's very sexual, she is very particular about who she ends up sleeping with or having a sexual relationship with. So I think with Dana, I don't know whether a relationship was ever in the cards, but certainly a friendship is no longer in the cards."
Panjabi also teased that FBI Agent Delaney (Jill Flint) is slated to return to The Good Wife.
"I hear she's coming back toward the end of the season. I'm really thrilled about that," Panjabi said. "I think Kalinda will be ecstatic!"
Check out the full interview at AfterEllen.
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