As quickly as I meet Mona Singh, I inform her I will not be exaggerating if I pronounce 2023 as her yr. She laughs and responds, “And I will not be modest about it both.” With three reveals – Kafas on SonyLIV, Made in Heaven Season 2 on Prime Video India, and Kaala Paani on Netflix India – Mona has registered her presence throughout platforms, genres, and did that all year long. The profitable streak has not solely allowed her to maneuver on from the failure of Laal Singh Chadha, but in addition translated into extra work she’s excited however tight-lipped about.
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There was a time they didn’t settle for me as something however Jassi.
Early days
“As military children, we have stayed in essentially the most palatial bungalows when my dad was commanding. We have additionally stayed in essentially the most damaged, shackled, non permanent lodging. So military children are like water, we take form of no matter we’re saved in. Assembly individuals from totally different cultures, languages, going to totally different colleges, it offers you a lot publicity. So you do not really feel like an outsider on this business since you’re educated from childhood to regulate, adapt, and alter,” Mona says, explaining why actors like her, Sushmita Sen, Priyanka Chopra, and Anushka Sharma have made it huge in Bollywood.
The power to adapt not solely helps her embody any character, but in addition eases her into tranquillity amid any turbulence. Within the 20 years as an actor, Mona has transcended from every day soaps, actuality reveals, theatre to now, films and OTT. “There was a time they didn’t settle for me as something however Jassi. I knew I may do way more than that. There have been numerous choices I used to be getting whereas taking pictures, however I could not have left my debut present. After that, it was a aware effort to not go right into a every day cleaning soap once more. As a result of I knew that since Jassi was so mega, all the pieces could be in comparison with it. I needed to shed the picture of Jassi.”
A contract with Sony TV allowed her to enterprise into internet hosting actuality reveals, taking part in them, and even profitable a couple of, just like the inaugural season of Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa. Whereas individuals actually took to her fashion of casual internet hosting, Mona confesses she by no means loved that gig as a lot. “Deep inside, I am an actor. However life retains shocking you. The stuff you run away from come to you first,” she says. All of the internet hosting wasn’t in useless. Because it performs out, internet hosting an award present obtained Rajkumar Hirani’s consideration and fetched her a Bollywood debut with 3 Idiots (2009).
The artwork of manifestation
Mona remembers watching the Munna Bhai franchise and desirous to be in a Rajkumar Hirani movie. However that wasn’t the primary time the place she exercised her energy of manifestation. Watching Banegi Apni Baat religiously in class compelled her to announce to her non-filmy household that she needs to do TV. And she or he was ultimately signed for Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, by the identical makers, Tony and Deeya Singh. “Any film I like or any director I like, I throw my needs out into the universe,” Mona says, laughing.
It occurred but once more in 2014-15 when Mona obtained saturated with TV and moved on to experimenting with theatre beneath Raeel Padamsee. “That was the time when most of my mates had been watching TVF’s Everlasting Roommates, which was the primary Indian collection, on YouTube. After I watched it, I believed it was nice writing, restricted collection, and good actors. I believed I ought to attempt one thing there. However individuals mentioned it is on YouTube, not sufficient attain and income. There are hardly any likes. However I mentioned perhaps it’d decide up,” says Mona. Lo and behold, she was approached by TVF for Yeh Meri Household in 2017, which was ultimately picked up by Netflix India.
After I watched Made in Heaven Season 1, I requested myself why am I not on this
The streaming big was simply getting into India when Mona switched to OTT. She’s glad that her saturation level with TV almost coincided with the onset of streaming in India. “There was a meme individuals had lower out from a pooja scene I did in a TV present, the place the thali falls down and the shlokas begin within the background, like ‘Jai jai jai jai,’ and I used to be like, ‘Oh no, I’ve executed this!’ Par theek hai, I’ve no regrets. I am pleased with it,” says Mona, who took her personal candy time to achieve the large OTT platforms after two ALTBalaji reveals and one ZEE5 unique.
Her largest gripe with tv is the shortage of entry to a script. Since new tracks are included and arcs are altered as per the TRPs, Mona may by no means know the place her character was going. Figuring out her graph inside out, for example, allowed her to pitch the memorable position of Bulbul Jauhari to perfection in Made in Heaven Season 2. “That is one other position I believe I manifested. After I watched Made in Heaven Season 1, I requested myself why am I not on this! I needs to be doing this. 4 years later, I obtained my want.”
Bulbul Jauhari grabbed eyeballs proper from her introduction scene within the first episode when she walks into the Made in Heaven workplace. Having began her profession with an iconic office drama, Mona is not any stranger to the dynamics of that style. Like Jassi, Bulbul was environment friendly and organised, however in contrast to her, she wasn’t clumsy. “The footpath I used to be strolling on (within the intro scene), it was all cobbled and damaged. I used to be strolling in excessive heels. They instructed me that each one the shopkeepers are actual, they don’t seem to be planted actors. I simply walked, mentioned hey to them, they had been shocked, and I simply owned the place,” remembers Mona, laughing.
Workshops with co-writers of the present, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and Alankrita Srivastava, helped her crack Bulbul’s physique language regularly. “They had been all saying she’s boisterous, she owns the house, however she’s additionally all-woman. She’s simply walked out of a magnificence salon, with the hair all curled up. She walks and acts like a person, however is all girl, weak, feminist. When she’s sitting, she would not sit utterly ladylike. She’d sit thoda pair chaudha kar ke, seena chaudha kar ke,” provides Mona. But it surely was the data of her full arc that made Mona take stalk of Bulbul’s femininity, which was at odds along with her physique language.
Mona is assured that Bulbul Jauhari would do for her subsequent yr what Gurpreet from Advait Chandan’s Laal Singh Chaddha did for her this yr. It is ironical that the Aamir Khan movie, that was ‘boycotted’ upon launch and consequently tanked on the field workplace, fetched her a lot work.
Personally, I have not moved on from that. No, I have not. A chunk of me will at all times be there. What I am celebrating and pleased about is that Laal has translated into nice work for me. As a result of individuals noticed me go from 16 to 60 in that movie.
I met Aamir sir at a celebration, I requested him how he’s doing. He mentioned, ‘Mona, it’s okay. All of us have to maneuver on.’ I instructed him how Laal has modified my life. This yr, I’ve shot for five collection and for a movie, and it is all due to Laal.”
Mona remembers the day of the discharge when the movie was declared a failure. She remembers visiting Aamir with Advait and processing it collectively. “We had been quiet, laughing, then I began crying. Advait was comforting me. It was a bit powerful as a result of we had created a world full of affection and empathy. Laal was all about that. It had no controversies. Not placing any faith down and no private assaults. It is simply nice cinema. However individuals took it otherwise. They began boycotting it. No one may imagine {that a} movie like this might be handled that manner. However all of us knew one factor for positive, that the film we made is gorgeous. That if not right this moment, tomorrow and even 10 years later, it would get a cult standing, which it already is getting. Folks went psychological on the one-year anniversary of the movie,” Mona says.
Mona has famously mentioned that Aamir wished her on Mom’s Day. She’s 16 years youthful than the actor, however Mona insists that she’s by no means shied away from taking part in a mom on display screen, no matter who she’s taking part in a mom to, or what number of she’s taking part in a mom to. She wasn’t even married when TVF supplied her to play a mom of three in Yeh Meri Household. “Why do I’ve to play solely my age? Then what is the level? I am an actor, I ought to have the ability to play any age,” Mona says. She went on to play a first-time mom in 3 Idiots (bear in mind, she delivered a child on a TT desk?) proper all the way down to taking part in the mom of a troubled teen in Made in Heaven Season 2 this yr.
Whereas she’s frozen her eggs and isn’t positive of being a mom but, she would not must depend on that have to play a mom on display screen. “I’ve proved that you do not have to be a mom to play a mom. All of it comes from nice writing and the household you come from. My mom has two daughters. It is not simple to lift two ladies on this world. After we had been going by means of that tender age, she give up her job and made positive we had been taken care of. Moms are so giving. However we realise that solely now,” Mona says.
Her father misplaced a leg within the 1971 India-Pakistan battle. Mona says that whereas it is their mom who’s raised her and her sister, she’s at all times had a smooth spot for him. “Many of the occasions, daughters can have a struggle with their moms and get alongside effectively with their dads. I used to be additionally the identical, however now I am attempting to reverse it. As a result of I really feel she deserves all of the love. I spoke to her after one TV serial I did, then after Made in Heaven and Laal. I at all times say what I performed in Laal Singh Chaddha was my mom. In fact, she will be able to’t drive a tractor although,” Mona says, cracking that daybreak of a smile.