If you grew up with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, you remember Mona Singh as the girl with braces who changed Indian TV forever. But she didn’t stop there. From holding her own against Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor in Laal Singh Chaddha to playing the chilling “Babli Didi” in the sand mafia drama Subedaar to portraying a steely, emotionally conflicted cop in Kohrra, Mona Singh’s trajectory is defined by a refusal to be typecast.
Mona Singh’s life before acting
While many television stars have struggled to bridge the gap to cinema, Mona Singh has spent the last two decades mastering the art of transitioning between mediums. Her work has grown alongside audiences – journeying from living-room television to the big screen, and now onto streaming platforms.
Long before she entered showbiz, Mona spent her formative years moving from one city to another, growing up as the daughter of a veteran of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. While promoting Border 2, the actor revealed that her father, Jasbir Singh, had lost his foot during the war.
In fact, Mona was on the verge of becoming an air hostess before pursuing acting as a career. She had cleared interviews and even secured a visa for a Singapore-based airline at her family’s suggestion, but ultimately chose to follow her instincts and pursue a career in acting in Mumbai.
What followed was a grind marked by long commutes from Pune to Mumbai and a string of relentless auditions. After nearly 50 tries, Mona finally landed her breakthrough with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin – a role that catapulted her into the spotlight and changed her life forever.
Mona Singh’s rise to fame
Mona made her small-screen debut with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, which also featured Apurva Agnihotri and Gaurav Gera. Loosely based on the Colombian show Yo soy Betty, la fea, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi traced the life of Jasmeet Waliah aka Jassi (Mona), and questioned the beauty standards. It was also remade as American show Ugly Betty.
“I never planned all this. I saw myself as an actor who is famous, known and who people love. That was my ultimate dream before I came to Mumbai and now when I look back and talk about Jassi… I have forgotten Jassi, how it was, what did I do in the show, and what happened. I have moved on. I have never looked back after the show,” Mona once told Hindustan Times.
Later, she went on to do other TV shows such as Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar, Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do and Kavach…Kaali Shaktiyon Se.
It was during her early rise to fame that Mona made it clear she had no intention of being boxed into one image, choosing instead to explore the many facets of showbiz through varied roles. She was seen in reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1 as a contestant, and took on hosting duties for Hosting Femina Miss India and Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega 1.
Quitting TV for big screen, OTT
At the peak of her career, Mona decided to leave the small screen and explore other avenues of entertainment. She went on to be part of the Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots. In 2022, she appeared in Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, in which she was seen in the role of Aamir’s mother.
After the big screen, Mona transitioned into the OTT space, embracing a whole new world of storytelling. From family drama in Yeh Meri Family to the glitzy, complex lives portrayed in Made in Heaven, and the gripping intensity of Kaala Paani, Mona showcased her range as an actor.
Last year, in an interview with Bombay Times, Mona looked back at her career and her decision to quit television. She said, “I’ve bid farewell to TV, with all due respect. There isn’t much left for me to do anything there. I think I’ve done everything – daily soaps, reality shows and hosting. This was a conscious step to move ahead. The switch wasn’t easy; I waited patiently for the kind of roles I wanted. It took time, but it was worth it. I’m doing films too… I’m happy to be balancing movies and OTT.”
Mona Singh’s 2.0 era
If you’re a true content buff, you couldn’t have missed Mona Singh lighting up screens – whether on the big screen or OTT – over the past year.
She moved audiences as the grieving mother and Sunny Deol’s wife in Border 2, stunned them as the ruthless mafia boss in Subedaar, and charmed them as the quirky Goan gangster in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. She even brought grit and intensity to her role as a police officer in Kohrra 2.
Not to forget the surprise she had in store in Aryan Khan’s show The Ba***ds Of Bollywood, or the breezy outing as a mother who is being set up on dates by her math whiz teenage son in the recent show, Ma Ka Sum.
She has consciously avoided limiting herself to only lead roles or age-specific characters, a choice that has opened doors to diverse and exciting opportunities. Yet, she remains humble, never one to claim all the credit for her success.
“It’s not just about my openness. It is also about the casting directors and producers having faith and giving me a chance to do something totally different from what I have done before. Like in Happy Patel Khatarnak Jasoos, I’m playing a don, in Border 2 I’m playing Sunny Deol’s wife and now I’m coming out as a serious cop in Kohrra 2. Being in different worlds and playing different characters is an actor’s dream and I’m getting to do that. I’m very grateful,” Mona told Hindustan Times in a recent interview.
What’s next for her? Beyond her entrepreneurial venture with her restaurant Kona Kona, Mona is said to be working on a cybercrime web project produced by Rajkumar Hirani.
