In her 21st year in the industry, Mona Singh is enjoying herself the most, and she has OTT to thank for it. Having played two diverse characters in her last two shows—Made In Heaven 2 and Kaala Paani—and gearing up for six more series, the actor is happy the digital medium has embraced her. In a chat, she reflects on building her TV career on unconventional choices, maintaining balance between OTT and movies, and choosing characters that effect change for women. Edited excerpts from the interview.

I feel that way too. The narratives have changed for women, where we have more to do now. We don’t have just one or two shades, but 50 shades to portray! I have found more success, recognition and satisfaction as an actor in this phase of my career because of OTT. These kinds of stories wouldn’t have been made on TV or on the big screen. I feel happy and grateful to be a part of this industry during this change. Also, maintaining a balance between films and OTT is not easy. It’s great that I have been able to do it.

 

There was nobody to guide me. I had no one taking me under their wing. So, right from Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, I understood that I had different views and beliefs. After Jassi, I took a break from daily soaps because I knew if I jumped right into another, everything would be compared to my first show. I have been conscious about the kind of roles I choose, the people I work with and the breaks I take because you have to maintain your exclusivity. You cannot be overexposed. Today, wherever I stand, it’s because of my choices.

When I did Jassi, I was 22. But I took my own decisions. Acting is the only profession where you don’t know what’s happening tomorrow. You don’t know which show you may be offered. I took my chances. There were actors switching from one set to another, but I didn’t want to do that because I knew I was here for the long haul. I didn’t want to burn out too soon. I wanted to stay relevant and adapt to different mediums. So, I had to take some tough calls and refuse shows that I didn’t want to do. I never succumbed, and because of that, I am still around. 

 

I come from a home where my parents never told me what to do. The only condition that my parents had was that I finish my graduation. They have never told me to be a certain way just because I’m a woman. Yes, relatives would have an opinion on it. They told my parents, ‘Oh! Your daughter wants to be an actor? She might bring shame to your family.’ But my parents paid no heed. They gave me wings to fly. Kids do well when their parents let them be. In a household, where parents have too many restrictions, kids become the best liars.

Jassi empowered many girls and that is something I try to do with every character I play. My thought process while choosing a character is that it should inspire women, change and impact society in a positive way. As women, we’re always told how to be, what to eat, whom to marry, where not to go and I’ve never given in to that.

 

I have five-six shows coming up. I’m playing a gangster in Pan Parda Zarda, which also features Tanvi Azmi, Tanya Maniktala and Priyanshu Painyuli. That character is completely grey. There’s a mad movie that I have done, which will release by the year-end or next year.

 

We used to discuss the possibility of a sequel, but then everybody got busy with their lives. I feel it should be made for OTT.

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.

Actor Mona Singh took a step back from the small screen in 2016 after her stint in the daily soap Kavach... Kaali Shaktiyon Se. As someone who has worked in all mediums — films, TV and the web — she believes mixing things up is the “only way for actors to stay relevant”.

“I am spoilt for choice on OTT,” says Singh, who starred in the recent show Made In Heaven 2. She adds, “When you say yes to a show on OTT, you invest a few months and then, you move on to the next [project]. But, that doesn’t happen on TV. I don’t have the patience to play one character for years anymore.”

Citing the example of her hit TV soap Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, the 41-year-old adds, “When it ended, I knew I couldn’t jump into another daily soap immediately as everything would be compared to Jassi. So, I opted for hosting and participating in reality shows — not just to break free from the image of Jassi, but also to let people know that this is also something I can do.”

In 2018, she made her OTT debut with Yeh Meri Family and there has been no looking back since.

“I am getting greedy as an actor, mujhe sab kuch karna hai. I want to play a grey [character], a cop, star in a biopic and many other things. OTT has opened so many doors for actors like me. Ek nahin, mere 1,000 dream roles hain,” wraps up Singh, who has five releases lined up.

The actor played a pivotal part in Made in Heaven 2, which recently faced plagiarism allegations, among other claims. However, Singh feels it was “not at all needed”. “When such big people are making a show and even writing it, they will obviously make sure nothing is plagiarized. I find these controversies really bizarre,” she adds.

It was on the reality TV series Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives when actor Neelam Kothari mentioned that no matter when she makes her acting comeback, one thing was for certain: she would not kiss on screen. Therefore, many were taken by surprise when the recent web show, Made In Heaven 2, had a lip-lock scene featuring Kothari and her husband, actor Samir Soni.

Revealing that it was director Zoya Akhtar’s idea, Kothari tells us, “Zoya said, ‘I know you don’t kiss and you are apprehensive about it, but there’s a kissing scene in the episode.’ My antennae instantly went up and I said, ‘Oh my God, no. That’s not going to happen.’ She told me, ‘Calm down, you will be kissing your own husband’. That convinced me a bit.”

In fact, Kothari feels this was a “clever and brilliant casting” call. “If it was anyone other than Samir, I don’t know if I would have been able to do justice to that scene. Coming back to acting after so many years and then kissing, too... I don’t think I would have been comfortable with any other actor,” admits the 53-year-old.

Another reason for her change of heart, the actor tells us, is that she realises the need to adapt to the changing times. A popular name in the ’90s with films such as Sauda (1995) and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), she says, “A lot has changed now [in terms of what is accepted on-screen]. When I was doing movies, kissing on screen was a big thing. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, for me to do it was out of the question... But now, times have changed. And since it was with my husband, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.”

After quitting acting two decades ago, she started her jewellery business. Now, having made her return to the screen with two web projects, she reflects on how the medium has proven to be a blessing for artistes who are returning after a sabbatical: “When I got comfortable with my space and was just doing business, OTT opened up a lot of avenues. After Fabulous Lives..., many opportunities have come my way. It is like a second innings for me.”

The highly acclaimed show 'Made in Heaven' has made a comeback with its second season. This season explores diverse interpretations of both joyful and challenging conclusions in various wedding narratives. In a specific episode, the series addresses the sensitive topic of domestic abuse. Actor Siddhant Karnick portrays the character of an abusive husband in 'Made In Heaven 2'. His impactful performance has resonated strongly with the viewers, leaving a lasting impression.

We ask Karnick how he constructed the character and he says, "A magician never gives away his secrets. The core of Anik is that he is a troubled man. On the outside he is a Life coach, an author of self help books, and has a big following on social media. He’s a narcissist and a violent man. Also, a manipulative man. These are all what you as an audience see from the outside, I did not wish to see him like that. I wouldn’t have been convinced then. You see a villain isn’t a villain in his eyes. He believes what he is doing is right. We all believe we are doing right, when we look at things from our world, because we are the hero in our world, the villain also believes this. He isn’t a villain, if he was, Adhira (Mrunal Thakur) wouldn’t have taken him back , he is a troubled man and at one point breaks down to seek help and she accepts to help him. Adhira plays the knight in shining armour here."

As part of a backstory, Karnick answered for us, the one question that was on everyone's mind - why would she stay despite the beatings?

"Adhira and Anik had a great sex life… See, Anik genuinely loves Adhira, there was never any doubt about that, he has eyes only for her, his love is extreme, toxic...yes! But he loves her to bits, one of the reasons being, is that he felt really comfortable around her so much so that he could bare his dark side to her. This would sometimes lead to violent outburst or most times result in great sex. One of the things about a toxic relationship is that the sex is usually great, that’s one of the fundamental reasons couples in toxic relationships stay together more than they should. Alankrita Shrivastava, the director and writer of the episode, guided me into his psyche. We spoke about the violence being a learned behaviour, maybe as a child he saw that’s how his parents behaved and that made it OK for him to behave this way too. This is some part of the backstory that we created for Anik and I’m really glad to know that the audience have hated Anik."

Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, one of the episodes of Made In Heaven (MIH) season 2, titled 'The Heart Skipped A Beat', featuring a Buddhist wedding, went on to become the series’ most acclaimed short. However, along with the appreciation came the credit crisis. While Neeraj thanked various people who inspired his episode in an Instagram post including activist and author Yashica Dutt, soon after, the latter questioned why she wasn’t given a formal credit on the show. She claimed the episode’s central character Pallavi Menke (played by Radhika Apte) was based on her life. Neeraj, known for his courageous vision and acclaimed films like Masaan, Geeli Pucchi (a short film where Konkona Sen Sharma plays a Dalit queer character) and Juice (a short on patriarchy starring Shefali Shah), for the first time, addresses the controversy, representation of Dalit characters in mainstream cinema and why pushing this narrative is so important. Excerpts...

I have also championed Yashica’s work earlier. In the story, Pallavi Menke is a Maharashtrian Dalit from the Vidarbha region. She then goes to Columbia University (USA) and becomes an Ivy League professor. The episode is about her getting married to a man belonging to another caste, and how his family has issues with her (Buddhist) wedding ceremony. They are not in complete acceptance of her. They like her academic accolades but want to erase her caste identity. The episode handles this conflict. I don’t know how this is a homage to any one person. Even if you claim ownership to the term ‘coming out’, can you claim ownership to the act? So many people have hidden and then finally proclaimed their identities due to the fear of being judged. I hid my identity for 35 years, then suddenly spoke about it. People who never shied away from their identity and took the hate head on, their struggles were bigger. Look at (filmmaker) Nagraj Manjule, he inspires me. A part of me is Yashica, Nagraj, Bezwada… and so many people who don’t want to be named. Pallavi Menke is a sum of all of us, our pain and anguish. She is a symbol of the cumulative experience of all of us, so no one person can claim to be her.

Making this episode (MIH) for me has been a very personal journey. Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Alankrita Shrivastava are the writers of the show. They had this idea. Someone who’s accomplished from the Dalit community realizes that they may have come a long way, but it doesn’t insulate them from the ugly face of casteism. We chatted the whole day and I talked about how I proclaimed my Dalit identity on Twitter, and you had broken that story. (A story by the same author featured in BOMBAY TIMES; January 7, 2018, titled, Neeraj Ghaywan: There was always this fear of my work being attributed to my identity as a Dalit).

Before that happened, I hid my own identity in school, during my Engineering college, MBA days and even in my corporate life, because I have seen how people treat you when you come from a quota. My name was Neeraj Kumar and it’s still that on my passport. Now it’s become my middle name. (Pallavi Menke in the episode refers to caste neutral surnames like these). If you tell people your full name, they will scrutinize your last name, where are you from, which region, where are your parents from, etc. We know what they are getting at, and this kind of scrutiny scars you. I reclaimed my identity by going back to my surname and so does Pallavi.

After I spoke to Bombay Times in 2018, my extended family who hadn’t proclaimed their identity and were earlier proud of my work as a director, were also exposed. It was a bit complex for me because they weren’t happy about it. We used this track in the story, where Pallavi’s brother isn’t happy about her coming out. I opened up a lot about myself through this episode. I touched upon manual scavenging. Every achiever from the caste will have a story where their previous generations cleaned the toilets. I have heard these experiences from so many people including activist Bezwada Wilson, who is a pioneer in abolishing this practice. At some places, it has still not changed.

I must tell you this. When my house help of ten years saw your piece in Bombay Times (2018), she picked up the newspaper and asked me, Dada, hey kaay aahe? (What has been written?) I was scared to tell her what it meant. It took me 2-3 days to muster up the courage to tell her that I am a Dalit. She reacted, “Aap Jai Bhim wale ho? Mujhe fark nahi padta.” Same with my driver. It’s scary because you have been putting up a different picture for the world for years. Since the time you broke that piece, I haven’t spoken to anyone. Not even my school or office friends. I stopped going to my college reunion because no one reached out to me after knowing what I have been through. All this fear and trepidation came out when I spoke to the show creators, and all of this went into that episode.

My responsibility as a filmmaker is not just to be inclusive. The inclusion needs to make drama sense. The character must resonate with people and that needs a solid performance. I knew no one could play Konkona’s character in Geeli Pucchi better than her or Radhika’s character in MIH. Should I tell my stories efficiently or compromise on the casting to sound right and make a middling drama that no one will watch? Forget actors, I am the only artiste in the Hindi film industry who has acknowledged his Dalit identity. A lot of people don’t want to proclaim their identities. It’s their choice. If I do find newcomers who are open about their sexuality or caste, do they fit the part? You also need great actors to pull it off as these are complex characters.

We all are political beings, especially the ones belonging to the marginalized communities. It could be Dalits, women, LGBTQIA+, specially abled people or minorities, I am not talking about electoral politics but our relationship with the world and society and how it’s all connected. Their rights which have been denied are linked to the state. Their mere existence is a political statement.

The way it is structured, it is very local centric. Caste is not what is shown in Hindi movies of the 80’s, where someone says, “Tu paani waha se pina.” It is way different than that. It is a reality that exists even today in Mumbai, where all of us get public holidays, but not the safaai karmacharis (sweepers and garbage collectors). Have you ever seen your building trash not being taken? They don’t have a choice. There are filmmakers who are now addressing this, but there is a problem with the gaze. It exudes a saviour complex. When filmmakers who are not from the community tell (Dalit) stories, they have a patronizing undertone. “Humne tumhara uddhar kar diya tum pe film banake. Praise me.” These films are not about the Dalit point of view. Dalit people become subjects here and not full-bodied characters with assertion, who can do other things beyond their caste markers. Patriarchy also exists in our community which needs to be called out. This conscience is slowly changing.

When the response to MIH came in, something inside me changed. I got heartfelt reactions from people who thought they were finally seen and heard. Their trauma was acknowledged. The one thing that I want to humbly acknowledge is that we called it a Dalit wedding. That was wrong. It should have been called a ‘Buddhist wedding’.

People welcomed me with open arms once I revealed my identity. No one saw me differently, but this happened after Masaan. When I was making it, I didn’t tell anyone about it. I couldn’t even confide in Varun Grover, who was the film’s writer, I only told him later. Once I came through, people did not change their opinion of me. They only see my work and that’s how I want it to be. I don’t want people to appreciate my work because it’s about a social cause. I shouldn’t have to rely on the crutches of something political or marginalized characters to win brownie points. “Isne important topic pe picture banaya, so appreciate karo.” I don’t want that. A film should be judged solely for its art, clear narrative, and great storytelling. I don’t want any tokenism.

Gratitude—that is Arjun Mathur’s state of mind ever since the second season of Made In Heaven dropped online earlier this month. The actor has been receiving unanimous appreciation for his portrayal of Karan. “[Actors] want to be seen and appreciated. When that happens, what else will you feel except gratitude,” exclaims the actor, who fronts the Amazon Prime Video series with Sobhita Dhulipala.

The second season sees the two wedding planners juggle their professional commitments with their crumbling personal lives. It focuses strongly on Karan’s emotional arc after his mother severs ties with him. Watching himself bring forth his character’s sorrows and struggles has been a powerful experience for Mathur, who says, “There are times when you become critical of yourself. Then, there are moments when you feel affected all over again because what you felt while shooting was so strong that you start feeling the same as a viewer.”

The actor credits creator-director Zoya Akhtar for being a constant guide during the making of Made in Heaven. Mathur, who also starred in her directorial debut Luck by Chance (2009), has been close to her since. “I call her my movie maa. She holds your hand right through the process, and makes you feel that nothing else matters. She also knows how to get the best out of me.”

When you’re featuring in a single episode that only takes a few days to be shot, you hardly expect an overwhelming response. But Radhika Apte’s episode in the second season of Made In Heaven has become a dialogue-starter, and for good reason. The Neeraj Ghaywan-helmed episode showcases a Dalit-Buddhist wedding, a rare depiction in mainstream Indian cinema. While the episode is being hailed, the larger discourse of late has been about casting actors with lived-in experience. Where does Apte stand on it?

She starts with, “It’s called acting, isn’t it? We don’t cast Muslim actors for Muslim parts, and Christian for Christian parts. There are [two] subjects here —one is casting the right actor. [The other is that] people need representation, highlighting how people of different castes need equal opportunities at work. It’s not fair to mix it up. Who you are cannot be the only part you get, then the experience of an actor is gone. I will only get upper-middle class, Hindu women parts. The character is not confined to its religion, caste or geography alone. We are talking about the emotional liberation of a person on screen.”

The episode tells the story of Apte’s Pallavi Menke, a Columbia alumnus who came out as a Dalit through her book, pushing for a Dalit-Buddhist wedding. Gender is equally crucial here, a two-fold marginalizing force at work.

“I am a woman who has experienced discrimination, humiliation and disrespect. I acknowledge how it varies in degrees,” says Apte, adding that she modelled her character on Ghaywan.

“I based Pallavi on Neeraj. His experiences made their way into the performance. I can call myself woke, but when the episode came out, I realized from the responses how large the issue is. There has never been a [Dalit wedding] representation in mainstream cinema.”

Which brings us to Yashica Dutt and Sumit Baudh, the latter credited by the makers in a social media post for using the term ‘coming out’ in the Indian caste-identity context. After the episode streamed, Dutt called out the makers on social media for not crediting her while allegedly appropriating her life story. In a recent interview to mid-day, director Ghaywan said that he had woven his life experiences into creating the protagonist (Pallavi Menke is me, Aug 20).

Apte adds, “There are a lot of people Neeraj and I discussed. Of course, Yashica was one of the inspirations Neeraj had, and her book [Coming Out as a Dalit] was phenomenal. But the only person we discussed for the character’s emotional journey is Neeraj. His stories about his time in Pune are scary and horrific.”

“I’ve wanted to collaborate with Radhika for a while. So when the character of Pallavi Menke came up, we approached her. We felt she’d be perfect because she is a talented actor, who also has the knowledge and sensitivity to understand how important Pallavi’s narrative is. Radhika had the right blend of strength and vulnerability that was required to make an impact. Also, she has a million-dollar smile.”

Amid fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani accusing the makers of the web show Made In Heaven 2 of using his designs without crediting him, Siddhant Karnick, who starred in the said episode alongside actor Mrunal Thakur, has defended the makers.

He tells us, “I can’t really comment on the conversation between the [makers and designers], but I can tell you that when we were shooting, both Mrunal and I and everyone on the set was very much aware that those were Tarun Tahiliani’s designs. There was no intention of taking that credit away from him.”

In fact, the actor adds that he was so enamoured with the outfits that he even thanked the designer on Instagram. “It’s so funny that just before this controversy came out, I had put up a post thanking and complimenting his work,” says Karnick.

Could the chaos have been avoided with just a mention or credit of the actual designer on the show? “Absolutely! I think any artiste who contributes anything [in a show], should be given credit for it. That is the definition of collaboration, right?” he says, adding, “But like I said, I’m also aware the production has been very respectful to every single person who collaborated with the show. So I don’t know how this has happened.”

Tarun Tahiliani is miffed with the makers of Made in Heaven 2 (MIH 2) after his designs that were lent out to the styling team of the OTT show were presented in the second episode under a fictitious label name.

Taking to Instagram, the fashion designer wrote: “It is most unfortunate when a popular OTT series violates the understanding behind the provision of clothing in the first place… This is a shocking breach of faith. If this is what the production house intended, they should have engaged a costume designer, had costumes designed and proceeded as they saw fit.”

Interestingly, the makers featured couturier Sabyasachi and his designs in the first episode and gave him due credit. However, this courtesy wasn’t extended to Tahiliani.

Despite repeated attempts, Tahiliani; Bhawna Sharma, the show’s stylist; Alankrita Shrivastava, the director of the episode in question and the show’s creators and producers, couldn’t be reached for a comment.

Earlier this week, the web show made headlines when Dalit author Yashica Dutt claimed that an episode directed by Neeraj Ghaywan showed a version of her life on screen “without permission or credit”. The makers have released a statement, dismissing the allegations: “We are deeply disturbed with the misleading reports… We will continue to platform stories and voices that are bigger than us.”

From the sound of it, Jim Sarbh is one of us. The actor, who plays one of the central characters in Made In Heaven, is binge-watching the second season and can’t stop reacting to it like any other viewer. “Even people I watched it with, screamed during certain scenes and gasped at some other sequences,” the actor grins.

Since it dropped on Amazon Prime Video last week, the Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur-led series has dominated conversations, just the way its maiden season did. This time around, through glitzy weddings organized by Dhulipala and Mathur’s wedding planner characters, the show has touched on several themes—from India’s obsession with fair skin, to Dalit identity, and self-love.

Pleased with the response, Sarbh says, “At the end of the day, a story wants to be heard and experienced. So, I am glad people are connecting, asking questions and having feelings—be it good, bad or bewildered.”

The second season reunited him with one of his favourite collaborators, Zoya Akhtar, who has co-created the show with Reema Kagti. He credits Akhtar for handling intimate sequences with sensitivity, thus creating a comfortable environment for actors.

“Zoya is a lot of fun to shoot with. She takes control of the sets and is always a delight to jam ideas with. Also, intimate scenes can cause a certain amount of trepidation, if you feel you aren’t in safe hands. But because she is there, you feel safe. She has a good eye for such sequences; she shoots them in a way that makes them feel real and raw.”

Though the makers have been tight-lipped about the plot details, it’s hard not to track the proceedings of a show as big as Made In Heaven.

 

The second season, initially slated to roll in Europe in early 2020, finally went on floors in Delhi NCR in February 2021. Having wrapped up the north India schedule recently, Zoya Akhtar and her team — including writer-producer Reema Kagti and directors Nitya Mehra and Alankrita Shrivastava — have now brought the Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur-starrer to Mumbai.

A unit hand reveals, “The team has been shuttling between Goregaon and St Xavier’s College in south Mumbai. While the episodes are divided among the directors, this episode was shot by Zoya. She filmed at a hostel in Goregaon last week, following which the unit moved to St Xavier’s on Monday.” The college stint was an elaborate one with over 70 people on set.

The team may have lost a few months during the lockdown, but they are now on the verge of completing the principal photography. The source adds, “During the lockdown, the directors made the storyboard down to the last detail so that no time was lost when they started shooting again. The shoot will be wrapped up in a few weeks.”

Assuming the role of wedding planner yet again in Made In Heaven 2, Arjun Mathur promises that, this time, his character’s journey is noteworthy. “After the first season, I wondered what my character would do since his conflicts were resolved, but when I read the second season, I was thrilled to see how it gets better. His journey is more powerful and personal.”

The show, which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in March 2019, focused on two wedding planners—Mathur’s Karan Mehra and Sobhita Dhulipala’s Tara Khanna—who navigate the complicities of Indian weddings, while battling personal demons. Like season one, this is also set in the heart of Delhi. “It was always set in India, but we do have a schedule abroad. Let’s see how that goes. The show is set in the world of Delhi, and Delhi weddings. I will be shooting for this till July. We are working with some of the strongest voices from the industry.”

Weighing in on the I&B ministry’s decision to classify OTT shows,  he says, “Certification is justified for people under a certain age. But beyond that, I am in disagreement of anyone who is trying to control the content that is allowed to air. As artistes, it’s our job to authentically reflect our times, and society, as truthfully as we can.”