“I Don’t Want to Get Comfortable”: Mona Singh on Thriving by Taking Chances

In a candid interview, actress Mona Singh, who is known for bringing her own X-factor to every project she stars in, reflected on how choosing to play Jassi was a bold move at a time when debuting actresses were expected to look conventionally glamorous. She admitted that the decision was indeed risky, but for her, the priority was always the work. “Everybody wants to look pretty and their best when they debut, but for me, I just knew one thing—mujhe to kaam karna hai,” she shared. Mona, who received universal praise for her performance in Netflix's The Ba***ds of Bollywood, recalled informing her parents about the show and the drastic makeover involved. Their reaction, however, reassured her confidence in the project. "The only thing I told my parents was, "Yeh show aa raha hai. You will see me in a different look and there is a makeover". They were like, "Wow, yeh to hit hai. Yeh to hit hai because there is no show like that," she added.

According to her, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin stood apart because it moved away from the usual kitchen politics dominating television then and instead explored the professional world, set in a fashion house where the protagonist had no sense of fashion at all. That uniqueness, she believes, made the show a massive success. "Most of the shows at that time were about kitchen politics. And this was one show which was getting into office and that too a fashion house where this lady Jassi has got nothing to do with fashion or any sense of fashion," she fondly remembered.

While Jassi gave her unprecedented fame, Mona revealed that life after the show was about rediscovering herself as an actor. She described the character as a “big load” she carried even after the show ended. Conscious of inevitable comparisons, she chose not to jump into another daily soap immediately. Instead, she diversified—hosting shows, participating in reality and dance shows, and gradually redefining her screen image.

"My journey, I wouldn't call it a struggle, but my journey to find myself again started after Jassi because it was that big load, that big weight of the character that I was carrying after the show ended. And I didn't want to get into another daily soap right after Jassi because I knew that everybody would compare, so I started hosting. I started participating in reality shows, dancing shows. And then I tried to find myself and took other risks," she said.

One of her boldest decisions was playing a mother to three children in her late 20s, a move many actors would hesitate to take so early in their careers. “I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll do it,’ and it worked,” she said, underlining her belief that growth comes only through risk-taking. Mona stressed that she has never let the fear of being typecast dictate her choices.

Today, she finds it rewarding that casting directors see her versatility and approach her for both positive and negative roles. In fact, she revealed that several of her upcoming releases from January onwards will see her in full-fledged negative characters. For Mona, this evolution is proof that taking chances pays off. “I don’t want to get comfortable. I don’t want to be complacent. I want to keep pushing myself. Home is for comfort,” she said, summing up her philosophy. On the work front, Mona Singh will next be seen in the upcoming film Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, adding yet another intriguing project to her ever-evolving career.