Mona Singh, who received accolades for playing Laal’s (Aamir Khan) supportive mother in last year’s Laal Singh Chaddha, the Indian adaptation of the Hollywood movie Forrest Gump, is playing the role of a mother yet again in the recently-released Web-series Kafas on SonyLIV. However, whether she is as supportive of her child this time is for the viewers to decide. Singh plays Seema Vashisht in the social drama directed by Sahil Sangha and adapted from the British miniseries Dark Money.
The actress, who will be next seen in the much-anticipated second season of Made in Heaven, talks about her role and her equation with co-actor Sharman Joshi. Edited excerpts:
How was it to play the character of Seema Vashisht in Kafas? Have you seen the original show Dark Money?
No, I haven’t seen Dark Money, but, of course, I know about the show and the story. I loved the character of Seema which is why I said yes instantly after reading the script. It is so complicated and there are so many layers to her character. She is courageous, but she is also vulnerable. She is the parent out there who would go to any extent to support her child and get justice to her family. I really liked that about the character.
You have often played characters who are not afraid to speak their mind. So, when you have a character like Seema who is being paid to not speak, does that pose a bigger challenge for you?
Yes absolutely, it was a challenge. It was really interesting to bring out those grey shades in the character and present that part of you to the world. It is really difficult to make some choices in life, but tough times call for tougher decisions and that is exactly what happens with Seema and Raghav (Sharman Joshi). They become victims of the circumstances. It is not easy to portray grey characters at all. You have to be somewhere in between because even though you are not the antagonist, you make some decisions in life where you are grey. There is ambition and wanting your son to be a hero so you can enjoy the stardom. There are people like that in real life who push their kids to do things which they could not do and live vicariously through them, which is what she is doing. How the story unfolds and whether she stands against all odds to protect her children or keep quiet is what the audience will get to see in the show.
You are paired with Sharman Joshi with whom you shared some screen time in 3 Idiots. How was it to work with him?
Sharman was an absolute joy to work with. We used to discuss all the scenes and how we should do them and of course, Sahil (Sangha) was there with us throughout. Even during the rehearsals, there was a lot of exchange of thoughts and ideas about how to portray the scenes with Sharman. There is a lot to learn from him as an actor. In fact, we both are planning to do theatre now; he has plans to produce a show.
Your career has many small gaps and you like to take breaks, especially between fiction shows. Is that because playing these characters takes a toll on you and you want to recharge after that?
I have always taken a break after shooting a show or film because life also has to be lived. I like to travel. I go bungee jumping and on adventurous journeys. For me, it is very important to switch off, rejuvenate and start again afresh.
You made your debut with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi in 2003 and have been part of numerous fiction shows, reality shows, films and Web-series in these two decades. Which are some of your roles that have felt like personal milestones to you?
To begin with, of course, it was Jassi… which brought me overnight stardom. I can never forget what it did for me. Then there is Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2006 where I was declared the winner of that season. There was another beautiful reality show I hosted called Naya Roop Naya Zindagi (2008) where we gave extreme makeovers and helped with surgeries for people with cleft lips and broken jaws. That show left a huge impact on me. Then, of course, there is Laal Singh Chaddha which was a whole new turning point for me. People from all over the world reached out to me and sent me congratulatory messages and mails. My parents were super proud of me. They said even though I have never done a Punjabi film but they will count this as one (smiles).
You are in the second season of Made in Heaven. What can you tell us about it?
At this moment I won’t be able to talk about it. There will be promotions from next month onward where we will get a chance to talk about this.
Tell us about some of your other future projects. Do platforms or mediums make a difference when you say yes to them?
I have multiple releases on different platforms. There is Made in Heaven with Amazon; then there is something with Netflix in October and next year there is a movie. I have done a lot of work in the last three years and now all my shows and movies are ready to release. Mediums and platforms don’t matter. Having said that, I am loving this entire phase of OTT and I am so happy to be a part of these stories. You work for three-four months, take a break and start off with another character. There is the satisfaction of completing a season and if the show has done well, you come back well-prepared with another season. Creatively, I find OTT very satisfying. It has been eight-nine years that I haven’t done TV because I feel it takes too much time and I can’t be living one character for years. I just don’t have the patience to do that any more.
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