Mona Singh on Kohrra S2, Subedaar and Why She Wants More Complex Roles in Her 40s

Embodying two almost contrasting characters, who appear on screen within a gap of just a few weeks, showcases Singh’s versatility as an actor and her willingness to make choices that allow her to experiment. Finally, the actor is at a stage in her career where she can devote her time and energy to “exploring and pushing boundaries”. The 44-year-old actor says, “I’m grateful for the range of roles I’m getting to play. A lot of the projects I worked on over the last three years are releasing now. I’m celebrating that.”

By her own admission, Singh doesn’t follow any specific approach in her roles. She lets her zeal for experimentation and the director’s vision to guide her. “While preparing of Kohrra S2, we had extensive workshops. These were not just for building your character or meeting the director. They were more about understanding the character, the graph and having that luxury of time to go deeper into it. We tried to create Dhanwant’s backstory and fine-tune her body language. Most of the intense scenes are not about shouting,” says the actor, who became a household name when she debuted as the titular lead in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin in 2003.

A still from Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi

After shooting for Kohrra S2 for almost three months in Punjab in 2024, she started work on Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar in January 2025. “Kohrra was a different universe. We did a couple of readings before Subedaar’s shoot. We had a dialect coach, whom I consulted for my dialogues. I don’t over rehearse for a role,” she says. But for the Babli Didi role in Subedaar, Singh worked on her look as well. She wore light-coloured lenses and had a mole on cheek. “With so many releases lined up, I wanted to look different and Suresh was happy to experiment,” says the actor, who made her big screen debut with 3 Idiots (2009). After that she has worked in several talked-about movies such as Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), Munjya (2024) and Border 2 (2025).

With a successful two-decade-long career in television and cinema behind her, Singh believes that good scripts ensure that a character stands out even when a show has a big ensemble cast, like she did in The Ba***ds of Bollywood (2025) and Made in Heaven Season 2 (2023). “Now, I want to play characters who are complex, resilient and even unlikeable. I am drawn to characters who reflect the realities of life. When I am working, I enjoy the process and give my 200 per cent. But I am aware the results are not in my hands. In my 40s, I look at the bigger picture,” says Singh, who appeared as a Goa-based gangster Mama in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, which released in January.

A still from Kohrra 2

Singh is happiest when she is on the sets. “It empowers me to work with fine storytellers, actors and directors. That turns the environment on the set into something magical,” says the actor. Of late, she has been following a hectic schedule. But she has no complains. “I have patiently waited for this phase of my career. When my manager says the days for two different projects are clashing, I am happy to hear that. I am also glad that I have the opportunity to play well-sketched characters with nuance and agency.” The actor has two new shows Paan Parda Zarda and Ma Ka Sum lined up for release.

After gathering years of experience as an actor, Singh would eventually like to write, produce or even direct a project. “During the lockdown, I started writing. But it didn’t lead to anything. Everything has its destiny. In future, I would love to collaborate and create with someone where I direct or produce. Meanwhile, I want to keep experimenting, learning and reinventing as an individual and actor. I don’t want to repeat what I have done or be complacent,” says the actor, who is the daughter of a retired Indian Army officer and lived in different Indian cities before making Mumbai her home.

A still from Subedaar

In spite of her hectic schedule, the actor leads a disciplined life. “By 9.30 pm my phone is switched off and I go to sleep an hour later. I believe discipline sets me free. I love a slow start in the morning. When I am not away on sets, I love to spend free time with my pets, Nyla and Idli, a Shih Tzu. Idli is full of love and life. When I return home, no matter what mood I am in, he makes me feel so loved. I also love to cook, take care of my plants, watch movies and read,” she says.