Showing posts with label Kafas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kafas. Show all posts
Somebody commented ‘Aap toh lady SRK nikle’ as Shah Rukh Khan also had 3 releases this year-Mona Singh
8:03 AM
With three hit projects to her credit this year, the actor talks about the unexpected high and becoming a Gen Z fave
Navya Kharbanda (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 23, 2023)
With web projects such as Made In Heaven 2, Kaala Paani and Kafas to her credit, 2023 has been a great year for Mona Singh. The actor, who is overjoyed with the kind of appreciation that came her way, tells us, “I got a compliment on Instagram: ‘Aap toh lady SRK nikle’, because he (actor Shah Rukh Khan) also had three releases this year. Secondly, I lost 12 kg and revamped my wardrobe and style. Bulbul Jauhari (her character in Made in Heaven) was a highlight for me this year. I’m being invited to so many round tables now.”
The 42-year-old continues, “All this (praise) is new to me. The entire industry was reaching out to congratulate me. I am grateful for 2023; I experienced this high exactly after 20 years. I saw this kind of madness in 2003 (referring to the fame she earned for her debut TV show Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin).”
All set for a thrilling “2024 as there is a great lineup of shoots and releases”, the actor admits that OTT has turned things around for her.
She explains, “Earlier, only mothers and grandmothers would say, ‘We love you’. But now, I’m getting all the love from Gen Z as well. That’s the power of OTT. It is the only platform that can tell all these bold and beautiful stories. Every actor is shooting for OTT now, whether they are from film, TV or theatre.”
The actor never anticipated a successful 2023. “All the work that I have done this year was because of Laal Singh Chaddha (2022). Next year, I have six releases lined up and they are all because of how [my role] Bulbul was received,” Singh ends.
Sexual assault is not exclusive to the film industry; it is rampant everywhere-Mona Singh
8:20 AM
Fronting Kafas, Mona Singh on how the show talks about mental health and sexual assault
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; July 4, 2023)
Mona Singh had probably one of the most promising debuts with Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin in 2003, following it up with an interesting mix of projects in television, movies and digital entertainment. Her latest series, Kafas, might be the bravest and most challenging work in her two-decade career. An adaptation of British miniseries Dark Money (2019), the Sony LIV offering revolves around a married couple who keep mum about their child’s sexual abuse case in exchange for money. In conversation with mid-day, Singh talks about child abuse, the importance of sex education in schools, and parenting.
Kafas revolves around a child abuse case. Have you personally known any cases?
I have heard of cases from my friends where a watchman from the school or [the residential building] has misbehaved. Nowadays, kids are aware of the good touch and bad touch because of the sex education imparted in school. I remember I had gone to a friend’s house for Raksha Bandhan, and her children didn’t hug me. That is when I learnt that they’ve been taught in school not to hug strangers. It is brilliant and makes you more aware of how to be around children.
What do you think would be the best way to tackle the issue?
Parents should develop a friendship with their children so that they are not scared to tell their parents anything. If you maintain a distance from your children, that is wrong upbringing. My sister is like a best friend to her daughter and son; they tell her everything.
Your character overlooks the case of child abuse for money. Did you disagree with her?
One cannot really say if my character was right or wrong. So much of it was circumstantial. Tough times call for tougher decisions. My character and her husband [Sharman Joshi] couldn’t have fought against such an [influential] superstar in the industry. They would have a lot of pressure on them. There is also the [fear] of dragging their son’s name through the mud. Kafas sparks conversation around issues of mental health and sexual assault that have been deemed taboo.
Do you think in our judicial system, it is difficult to get justice when there is little proof? Like what happened during the #MeToo movement?
The only way is to be fearless, speak up and stand up for what you feel is right. Hats off to all the women who revealed their personal stories! It is sad what women have to go through. Sexual assault is not exclusive to the film industry; it is rampant everywhere.
You play a mother who takes hard decisions and is ridden with guilt. How did you go about the role?
The best thing about OTT is that before you start shooting, you get a bound script in hand. You have [countless] rehearsals, readings and workshops. By the time you start shooting, you’ve got in the skin of your character. We had lots of sessions with Sahil [Sangha, director]. He was sure that Seema [her character] won’t be verbose; she will be quiet and soaking it all in. Every time you see her, you will notice that she is going through an internal battle. We had also made this corner in the room where the paint is peeling off the wall, and Seema blankly stares at it every day. There were so many layers to her—from fighting for what is right, to understanding what she did was wrong, and living vicariously through her son. I have seen many mothers push their kids into Bollywood.
Did you ever feel the pressure to do something while growing up?
My parents never forced anything on me. I wanted to be an actor, but my father was clear that I had to finish my graduation first. I have seen so many mothers push their kids into acting. Mikhail [Gandhi, child actor] is a born actor. He is so good with his studies, and his parents are chilled. He reminded me of my school days and how my parents were with me.
People said they shouldn’t have listened to banning rumours and should have watched Laal Singh Chaddha in cinemas-Mona Singh
9:29 AM
Actor Mona Singh says viewers appreciated Laal Singh Chaddha, her last outing, after it arrived on OTT — and that for her is a ‘win’
Ruchi Kaushal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 27, 2023)
Mona Singh is always on the lookout for challenging roles — and one look at the actor’s filmography would reflect just that. Last seen on the big screen in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), where she played actor Aamir Khan’s mother, Singh feels such roles “rarely happen in a lifetime”.
“In the film, I aged from 18 to 60 and this [range] was the reason I agreed to do it,” she says, adding that she wasn’t worried about being typecast as a mother.
Singh elaborates, “I am never scared of things like, ‘Acha ab ise maa ke roles ke liye hi lenge’. I have been very choosy and particular about the roles I say yes to. My first show, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, was the most challenging project as I didn’t look the way I acted... I have been spoiled rotten for choices in this industry, to only do my best.”
Ask the 41-year-old how she dealt with the setback of Laal Singh Chaddha not getting the desired response at the box office, and Singh says she prefers to look at the bright side of things. “Yes, the movie didn’t do well at the box office at all. But when it came on an OTT platform, people started appreciating it and said they shouldn’t have listened to all the banning rumours and should have gone to the theatres to watch it. For me, that in itself is quite a win,” says Singh, who plays actor Sharman Joshi’s onscreen wife in her latest web outing Kafas.
Given that her latest show touches upon the existence of casting couch in the film industry, the actor considers herself fortunate to have never been at the receiving end of the practice. “I have always worked with good, simple people... If one ever finds themselves in such a situation (facing casting couch), there is always the choice to say no. There’s always the choice to back off,” she asserts.
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