As Dr Soudamini Singh, Mona Singh takes the lead in Kaala Paani's first episode on Netflix. She’s is a headstrong professional who always looks out for the easiest solution possible while others are busy convoluting and complicating a straightforward problem. Regardless of how much screen time has been accorded to her, Singh never fails to amaze us with her effortless versatility, which she has put on display, time and again, through her various projects.
Playing the role of Gurpreet Kaur Chaddha, aka Laal Singh's (Aamir Khan) mother, Mona steps into the shoes of a character with completely opposite personality than her own. Not even once did the thought of playing an aged role drag her down, rather she took it on with pride and as one of those rarest of the rare opportunities that came knocking at her door. As the heart and soul of the film, she reminds us of the best that motherly love has to offer.
This TV role is what shot Mona to fame in the early 2000s. Although an economics genius, Jasmeet Walia is a plain-looking woman from a middle class family who's too naive despite her intelligence and has often been rejected in society due to her looks. Once she lands her dream job at a big fashion empire, she has to struggle against all those unhappy with her success. Mona was quite literally the face of the show and instantly became a household favourite and even won a good number of awards for leading the Indian soap opera.
Vinay Waikul's directorial and Ekta Kapoor's creation features Mona Singh as Moushmi Ghosh, one of the four women scientists dedicated to the journey of Indian Space Agency's Mars Orbiter Mission. She plays a headstrong scientist who's compelled to work with her ex-husband, a fellow scientist. Mona's character is also initially blamed for the failure of the Chandravimaan mission, but over the season Sakshi Tanwar's Nandita Hariprasad complements Singh's portrayal by her starkly contrasting calm and quiet demeanour.
Directed by Sonya V.Kapoor, Ek Chup on Disney+ Hotstar makes for a strong case study of Shadow Pandemic during the COVID lockdown and the silence this issue is shrouded in. The film also drives our attention to the saying "Ek Chup, Sau Sukh" (Silence is Golden). It also stars Joy Sen Gupta and Chahat Tewani. Playing the role of Dr Radhika, Mona Singh wholeheartedly drives the movie as an indomitable force. It's not just her dialogues that speak for her, but also her eyes and expressions that convey the painful ride she's been through.
In her standout role as Bulbul Jauhari, Mona's character was introduced into the show in its recent second lap. As an independent, gutsy mother who works in finance, she's made the new auditor of Made in Heaven. Her initial picture makes her out to be a nosy woman we can't get behind, but with each episode's progression, sheds a layer, finally revealing her true colours as someone who's well aware of what she's doing and why.
In the 2009 Bollywood film, Singh plays Mona, Pia's (Kareena Kapoor) sister, and adds a renewed spark of energy and vivacity as the elder sister. Her chaotic energy when met with a drunk Rancho (Aamir Khan), generated never-ending laughs. Although she had a rather small role in the film, but as Viru Sahastrabuddhe's elder daughter she made us all fall in love with her character who played a huge role in pushing Rancho and Pia's love story ahead.
As Harshu's mother, Poorva Gupta, Singh's TVF originals drama series is set in the summer of 1998 and packs in a massive dosage of emotional nostalgia. The essence and goodness of the 90s has been aptly conveyed through this Hindi series. Each member of Harshu's family is bound to remind of you of your own and will make you laugh and smile just as much as they will make you cry. You can stream the show on YouTube, TVFPlay and Amazon MiniTV.
With Mona Singh, Ronit Roy and Gurdeep Kohli in lead roles, there was no way the cast wouldn't deliver. Despite the overt case of infidelity guiding the show's themes, which has often been shunned by audiences, the ALT Balaji show (also streaming on JioCinema) goes beyond portraying a shallow narrative floating on the surface. Ekta Kapoor's creation isn't one of those old over the top regressive soap operas.