Mona Singh marked her acting debut with the hit television show, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, in 2003. The series, which was an Indian-themed version of the Colombian drama Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, made her an overnight sensation even though it negated every definition and beauty standards pertaining to a quintessential star. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Mona looks back at how she has never shied away from taking risks and that began with her first show.
She tells us, “Jassi was so tricky. It’s the toughest role I’ve played till date. Nobody wanted to look like that. It was my debut show and I wasn’t even sure about a makeover. The channel could have decided to not have a makeover because we were anyway getting such good ratings. It was a chance I took and that’s what I’ve been doing with every role.”
So, what has been her biggest takeaway from the show? “I’ve been spoilt rotten because of Jassi (laughs). It made me too choosy in life. It also gave me Gaurav Gera, who is my best friend in the industry. 20 years have passed and we’re still best friends.” Recalling a back-handed compliment she received for it, Mona says, “Somebody thought that Jassi was a boy and that after a makeover, it would be revealed to the audience that she’s actually a boy (laughs). I was a little taken aback. I told myself that it wasn’t a good compliment at all!”
An episode during the shoot of Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin made Mona realise that life has changed and ever since, there has been no turning back for her. “During Jassi, we had gone to Bangla Sahib gurdwara to seek blessings because we were in Delhi for the promotions. I remember there was a lady who had come with her daughter. She made her touch my feet and told her ki bade hoke Jassi jaisa banna hai. I was just 22. I was like, ‘Oh my god, why are you touching my feet?’ She told me to bless her daughter,” she remarks.
With many popular television shows making a comeback, will Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin follow suit? “I don’t know if Jassi will make a comeback. I think we should just let the show be because there will be too many comparisons with the original one and people may not like the new season,” states the actor, who is currently riding high on the love coming her way for Made In Heaven season two.
As an afterthought, Mona adds, “If, however, there’s a chance that there will be a new season that will release on OTT, that might be interesting. That’s actually a good idea! I don’t want to do it for TV because I can’t live one character for two-three years anymore. I don’t have the patience for it. This is the reason why I don’t want to go back to TV in general.”
Yet another highlight in her 20-year career was filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots (2009), which marked her Bollywood debut. Speaking about it, she shares, “I clearly remember the first day on the sets of 3 Idiots. We had gone to Shimla and were shooting for the wedding sequence where Kareena’s (Kapoor Khan) character runs away with the boys. I remember Raju sir announcing on the mic, ‘Hello, this is Mona’s first scene in a Bollywood film. So, let’s welcome her to the industry.’ I can never forget that.”
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