Sass & sensibility

Mona Singh has steered away from the usual saas bahu dramas and yet has carved a niche for herself, finds Tanisha Bhattacharya

- Tanisha Bhattacharya

It's been 20 years since Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin was released but the series is still fresh in your mind. Tell her that and the actress bursts forth into a dimpled smile. Mona Singh has had the pick of TV shows and was counted as being one of the highest paid TV actresses at one point. She reunited recently with her 3 Idiots co-stars, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, for Laal Singh Chaddha. Though the film wasn't a commercial success, it was praised by the critics and later picked up interest after its OTT release. The actress has found herself back in the reckoning, thanks to OTT, and was praised for her work in shows like Kafas, Made in Heaven and Kaala Paani. Excerpts from an interview with the dependable Ms. Singh

3 Idiots was a dream film to make your Bollywood debut with. What are the thoughts you have today when you look back?

I have never watched that movie alone. I have always had either my friends, my family, or my husband watching it with me. And every time that delivery scene comes up, I start blabbering again. Oh, you know, this happened. That happened. And they say we've heard it 100 times.

That delivery scene in the film is indeed memorable. How many takes did it take to get it right?

I burst into laughter when all these guys—you know, when Madhavan and Aamir were picking me up and walking through that water and I was telling them sorry if I was heavy. These men were also telling me about their experiences. Sharman said, ‘My wife threw me out of the operating room where she was delivering. Aamir said, ‘Oh, my wife bit me’, Raju Sir said his story. I was like Oh my God! It was hilarious.