Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 15, 2020)

Mouni Roy has been away from Mumbai since the Coronavirus lockdown. She was stationed in UAE till last month when she flew to London, United Kingdom, to shoot for an upcoming film. The actor says she is missing her home and her country especially since it is Independence Day. “What I miss most on Independence Day every year are my school days. The flag hoisting, singing patriotic songs and dancing to them — it was such joy. Whether I am in the country or not, I feel very close to our roots and culture. It’s my only sense of belonging. I love my country,” she states hoping, we get “independence from negativity, negative thoughts, influences, people, and other stuff that doesn’t matter at all but still bother us”.

On August 15, 2018, her debut film Gold, co-starring Akshay Kumar had released. Roy feels grateful for the opportunities she got in these two years. She has had two releases since then — Romeo Akbar Walter and Made In China (both 2019) and is working on Brahmastra next. Talking about her debut she says, “As a journey, Gold has been invigorating as well as a roller coaster ride. There have been moments where I have felt lost at times in an attempt to figure out what lies next. But, in the end you have to live in the present and count your blessings every single day. I am happy and grateful that I am getting to do what I love.”

Roy, who has been shooting in the last couple of weeks in the new normal, says she didn’t know what to expect. “The experience has been different but fulfilling. It’s different to speak with everyone with masks and face shields on and rehearsing while maintaining distance. What’s nice to see is that everyone is aware and is following protocols. I am extremely grateful to have resumed work and be on a set,” she says.

With most movies releasing on OTT right now, the box office barometer of a film’s success is absent. Ask her how it will affect an actor’s standing in the industry as a movie’s box office success impacts careers, and she says, “That’s an interesting question. A movie’s box-office success is just going to be replaced with other metrics like online engagement, number of OTT platforms carrying the movie, how long these movies stay on the OTT platforms etc. Social media engagement and traction will also be a part of it, I think. Moreover, we have only just stepped into a new world. We need to wait and see how it goes,” she concludes.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 16, 2020)

After being stuck in the UAE for about four months, actor Mouni Roy has finally gone to London, UK, for the shoot of a film, details of which she says “will be revealed by the makers soon”.

Sharing her experience of taking a flight for the first time after the Coronavirus lockdown, Roy admits that it was quite “unnerving”. She tells us, “We are calling it the new normal while waiting for the new world, but it’s not just as much fun as it used to be. I used to look forward to long flights as I like reading and watching movies and sleeping in between. But the experience was not like that at all. Guess it will take some time getting used to this manner of travel.”

The actor will now be stationed in London for a month, as the makers plan to do some prep this week before commencing the shoot. Asserting that she isn’t yet sure about when she’ll be able to return to Mumbai, Roy, 34, says, “I don’t really know how the situation would be. I will be able to decide a week prior to the shoot’s end, depending on international flights and the situation in Mumbai, and then I’ll take a call.”

While she is excited to resume her work, the actor does have some concerns about shooting amid the pandemic. “I am quite petrified and nervous as actors are the only people on a set who can’t wear any masks or gloves while shooting. But I was dying to work and be on the set, so we kind of have to get used to the new normal,” the actor shares.

Indeed, hoping for the best and planning to take it one day at a time, she adds, “I’ll know and understand better as we start shooting. I have been promised that all safety measures would be taken and social distancing would be practised on the set.”

The actress, who has been staying in Abu Dhabi for the past three months, talks about missing home and how she has used this time for self-introspection
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 8, 2020)

For over three months now, actress Mouni Roy has been staying with her best friend in Abu Dhabi. While she misses her family back home in India, she is happy to spend quality time with her childhood buddy. Mouni tells us, “I am enjoying my stay here, in the company of my friend, who I grew up with, and her family. However, I am missing my mother and brother, who are in Cooch Behar (West Bengal). I am dying to come back to India, but I haven’t finalised a return date yet.”

Though she has been in the UAE for so long, the actress says that she hasn’t ventured out at all. “My friend’s parents stay with her and also, she has two little boys. I don’t want to take any risks as far as their health is concerned, and prefer staying at home. I have stepped out only a couple of times, and that too, to buy groceries,” she shares.

So, how does she spend her time? “I am learning to cook from my mother, and have been asking her for traditional Bengali recipes. There was a time when I hated entering the kitchen, but today, I am an expert cook. I can make Bengali egg curry, begun poshto, phool kopir dalna and Bengali soya bean. I have also taken to baking and made marble cake and banana bread,” she replies.

Mouni is also indulging in food for the soul. “My friend is taking online Bhagavad Gita classes and I have enrolled in it, too. I have read the Gita multiple times as a child, but back then, I couldn’t grasp its meaning. I am glad that I have taken it up again. Spirituality, for me, is travelling inwards and establishing that connection with my real self. There’s so much negativity around us, this is the best time to do some self-introspection. I hope I can continue on this path and not get carried away, once things get back to normal,” she signs off.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 8, 2020)

Apart from the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, our country has been dealing with a number of other problems and disasters including Cyclone Amphan, that wreaked havoc in West Bengal and Odisha. In a bid to help people affected by the cyclone, actor Mouni Roy will auction six paintings made by her to raise funds. The proceeds of the sale will go to the NGO Goonj, which has been working to help people in the affected areas.

Roy says, “The damage caused by Amphan was a lot, and Bengal is still dealing with the aftermath of the cyclone. From my end, this is a small attempt to help. It’s the first time that I am auctioning my paintings and I hope people bid well and are kind enough to contribute. All of us are in this together and have to help each other.”

Roy’s mother and brother live in the city of Cooch Behar in West Bengal, and the cyclone worried the actor a lot, as she is not in the country currently. “It rained quite a lot there, but thankfully, my city was not affected. My family is safe, thank God,” she exclaims.

The Made In China (2019) actor has been homebound since “over two and a half months”, and admits that she is surprisingly “quite okay about it”. She says, “I have had days of feeling restless, useless and anxious, but you have to remind yourself that it is not just you and everyone is going through this. At a time like this, the whole world is taking a breather. The lockdown feels like we are all on pause. One has to feel gratitude for what you have and be thankful for everything, including the basic necessities that one has. During this time, what I have learnt is that life can be simple and beautiful. We don’t need as much as we think we do.”

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 20, 2020)

“We’re living in the scariest of times, but we’re in it together,” says actor Mouni Roy who believes that the Coronavirus health crisis will give everyone a reality check and teach them to not take the nature for granted. She explains, “We had to slow down as that’s what nature wanted. I hope that we don’t go back to our old ways, and enter the new world as changed individuals.”

Roy is making most of the lockdown and has got back to her hobbies that were a major part of her growing up years. “There’s so much time, so I picked up a brush. I started with doing my seven and four-year-old nephews’ crafts homework. I’m also learning new recipes,” she shares.

Film shoots have been postponed indefinitely but Roy is calm. She urges everyone “to not think too much about the future”. “It’s not the right time to think of our upcoming projects. The world economy is in crisis. I hope we come out stronger,” she says.

The actor says though she has been living away from her family for a while now, the lockdown is making her homesick. “It’s difficult to live without family. I miss them. I’ve my bouts of crying. We speak on phone calls and video calls. Thankfully, Cooch Behar (West Bengal) is still safe,” she says. 

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 3, 2020)

Mouni Roy started her acting career more than a decade ago with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The actor who has now transitioned to films, looks back at the time when she casually went in for an audition and landed the television show. She says, “I gave an audition for the show which was held right next to my university. Then I got a call from them and I thought that I would go to Mumbai for a summer job and come back to Delhi. But I never came back. I used to do street theatre and I was part of the choreography society at my college in Delhi, and so, all I knew was that I love to act.”

Giving a glimpse into her first few months in Mumbai, she elaborates, “When I came to Mumbai, I didn’t know what was happening in the first year. Only when you start reading a book do you come to know if you’re enjoying it. The same thing happened when I would go on the sets and read my lines. I enjoyed being in front of the camera and I liked rehearsing. But the moments in between the shots when I wasn’t doing anything were the times when I used to feel lost.”

Mouni confides that she had aimed to become an IAS officer back in the day. “I did my under-graduation in English and pursued a post-graduation degree in Mass Communication from Delhi. I did my dissertation on Habib Tanvir (late theatre actor-director) and Indian street theatre. I was following an out-and-out academic path,” she says, adding, “My father thought that I would go to London (UK) for my M Phil and PhD. All of this sounds so bizarre to me now. He was a bit upset that after so much education, I’m giving it all up. He just couldn’t wrap his head around with the detour that I took. That’s how most Bengali parents are (laughs).”

Coming from an academically inclined family, she reveals that her father wasn’t too happy with her decision to step into tinsel town. “I remember Baba being very angry and he didn’t want me to go to Haridwar (for the shoot). He told me to come home for my summer holidays because my ticket was already booked. I told him about the show and he didn’t talk to me properly for two-and-a-half months. Then when we started talking, he kept asking me to go back to Delhi. I also had planned on going back to Delhi but one thing led to another and I stayed back in Mumbai,” the Made In China (2019) actor says. 

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 16, 2019)

Mouni Roy, who was last seen in Made In China alongside Rajkummar Rao, has a dream that not many know of. A book lover, she always had plans of penning a book. She reveals that she had already started writing one but she eventually put the plan on the back-burner. “I wrote 10 chapters, and they were really bad. It was a love story. But the dream is still there. I would definitely want to write in the future, maybe a script or a compilation of short stories. I want to do it properly by giving it ample time, hard work and concentration,” she shares.

Mouni says that the reason behind scrapping her first book was her changed perspective on the idea of love. “I used to be a hopeless romantic, but I’m more of a realist now. It happens with time, age and experience,” elaborates the 34-year-old actor.

Mouni is bombarded with questions on her love life and relationship status on social media all the time. Talking about it, she says, “I’m single, and there’s no plan of settling down anytime soon. You can’t force things like a marriage or a relationship. For these things to happen, the unity of time, space and action has to come together. They’ll happen when they’re meant to happen.”

Shedding some more light on her social media life, Mouni says that she has learnt to turn a deaf ear to people who trolled her for getting a lip job done. “Initially, I used to feel very hurt. I had gotten my lips done but nobody saw that I undid it. People talk rubbish irrespective of whether you’ve done something or not. Now, I know that trolls are ghosts who sit behind ghost screens and write ill about others. They’re pitiful. Thinking too much about them is a wastage of time,” explains the actor, who has just wrapped up hosting a podcast on Audible Suno .

Apart from that, Mouni is also looking forward to playing an antagonist in the Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-starrer Brahmastra.

As told to Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2019)

After becoming a household name on TV with shows like Naagin and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, I waited to move to films, knowing it would happen only if something substantial came my way. When the casting director of Gold called me for the audition, though I was keen, the timing clashed with my schedule. However, since they were close by, she suggested I dash over during lunch break.

I went to audition draped in my mother’s cotton saree. It went well but I didn’t hear from them for the next two months. Then all of a sudden, I was called to meet Reema ma’am (Reema Kagti, director). I was so excited at the prospect of meeting an intelligent woman like her that I pushed the shoot of my show even though there was no guarantee that I would land the role.

After a brief chat, she took me to Akshay sir’s (Akshay Kumar) office. Imagine my surprise when together they chortled, “Welcome to Gold.” I was later told that I was playing a Bengali girl, Monobina Das, married to Akshay sir’s character Tapan. Being a Bengali helped, but the challenge was to play someone who isn’t fluent in Hindi. My mom’s Hindi is terrible and that came to my rescue. Talking to her helped me perfect my bad pronunciation.

I had multiple script reading sessions but being on the set was a different experience altogether. The set-up was completely different from TV. A lot of time went into setting up a scene. On the first day, I had to shoot for the song “Monobina” with Akshay sir and the entire hockey team. I was thrilled, excited and very nervous. I had met Akshay sir only once before and was quite starstruck. For my first shot, I had to just look at him and smile, but I couldn’t get it right. It was like my jaw was stuck!

Being a real gentleman, he came to my rescue, going out of his way to make me comfortable. After a while, my nervousness subsided and I was on the way…

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; October 17, 2019)

Small screen actors stepping into the Bollywood arena for brighter career prospects is not a new phenomenon. Some have survived the test of time, while others have faded into oblivion. However, not everyone’s transition has been as smooth as Mouni Roy’s. The actress is best known for playing naagin on TV. After sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar in Gold and John Abraham in RAW, she will now be seen opposite Rajkummar Rao in Made In China. Also on the cards is the Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-starrer Brahmastra and she is reportedly a part of Mogul, too.

When BT met Mouni for a chat, she stressed on the fact that the projects she has featured in so far, have chosen her. “I have given my 100 per cent to every role that I have played. I listen to my directors and follow their instructions to the best of my abilities. To me, the story is paramount and then comes my character. I know after reading the first few pages of a script whether I want to be a part of the project. If you have to force yourself to do something, often, it doesn’t turn out well. I have always been slow but steady, and that’s alright. I believe that everything has its own due time and every delay is due to a reason,” she says.

‘IT’S A GOOD SIGN THAT THE LINES BETWEEN TV AND FILM INDUSTRIES ARE BLURRING’
When we point out that not many TV actors’ transition has been like hers, Mouni asserts that she doesn’t think along those lines and is grateful for the kind of work she has done in both the industries.

She says, “I am glad that TV actors like Mrunal (Thakur) and Radhika (Madan) are doing well in films. It’s a good sign that the lines are blurring, and makers are choosing the actors and not the medium. However, there is still a long way to go. There are many talented actors on TV, who work hard for the love of their craft. Actors have to wait for the right scripts, and also destiny plays a part in getting those opportunities. Of course, one needs a bit of tweaking, and the learning never stops. There are only a few gifted actors like Rajkummar Rao, who don’t have to go through that process. He is unimaginably spontaneous. For the rest of us, we have to constantly learn and unlearn (laughs!). Every scene with him has been a learning process for me.”

‘GREAT ACTORS ENHANCE YOUR PERFORMANCE’
Sharing screen space with powerhouse performers like Boman Irani, Paresh Rawal, Manoj Joshi and Gajraj Rao can be daunting for any actor, but working with them has been an enriching experience for Mouni. “Initially, you are intimidated, but then you realise that they are extremely giving and always put the script and the film before themselves. I have received help on the set starting with my director Mikhil Musale sir and Rajkummar to other co-actors. Great actors enhance your performance. It’s my good fortune that I am getting to work with them so early on in my career. You get to learn so much from the best in the industry,” the actress explains.

‘MADE IN CHINA IS A RELATABLE FILM WITH A STRONG MESSAGE’
Talking about Made In China and her role in it, Mouni tells us it is a rags-to-riches story of a middle-class man — Raghu (played by Rajkummar Rao) — and his wife Rukmini (Mouni). “Becoming a part of Made In China was a no-brainer for me. It’s a relatable film with a strong message. Rukmini has lived in a metro city and was very ambitious at one point. She falls in love with Raghu and shifts to Ahmedabad. She is still ambitious, albeit, differently. Now, she is ambitious for her family and wants Raghu to do well. The film showcases Raghu’s journey from rags to riches and how Rukmini supports him all along. Of course, the narrative is laced with interesting twists and turns,” says Mouni.

While the film chronicles Raghu’s journey and his struggles to become a successful businessman before he strikes gold by getting into sexual-stimulant business; the film is not a sex comedy. Talking about an important message that the film imparts, Mouni shares, “Sex education is extremely important and should be a part of our curriculum. If you have a fever, cough or cold, you go to a doctor, similarly, if you have a sex-related issue, you should be comfortable with consulting a sexologist as well. Both men and women should be educated about it. It’s important for men to be aware of everything to get over any awkwardness while growing up, and to understand the difference between wooing a women and scaring her. If women are educated, it gives us the power of negation. Having said that, this is just a small part of our film, which is fun and entertaining.”

‘MY JOURNEY SO FAR HAS BEEN A CHARMING ROLLER COASTER’
Not one to worry about the business of films or box-office success, Mouni says that she doesn’t understand the number game. She says, “I consider myself lucky that I don’t understand the business of movies too much. I was never worried about the ratings of my TV shows. I love what I do and give my heart and soul to it. Once it’s done, I don’t worry about what’s not in my hands. Being in the present is the most important thing. If you are stuck in your past, you will always be anxious, and if you keep thinking about the future, you will always be scared. There is no other place to be than being in the present.”

Following the mantra ‘the harder you work, the luckier you get’, Mouni believes hard work and destiny go hand-in-hand. Though her life hasn’t really been a typical rags-to-riches tale, like the film, she believes the audience will relate to it. The actress, who comes from a middleclass background, calls her journey in showbiz a “charming roller coaster.”

Mouni is happy that she has worked with actors like Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Rajkummar. “They have their own approach to the roles that they portray. I am not in a position to comment on them, but the one thing that’s common between them is that they are brilliant at comedy, in their own way,” she observes.

While TV is said to be a woman's medium, the film industry is largely male dominated. Lack of pay parity has been talked about a lot over the past couple of years. Actresses undergo a lot more scrutiny in terms of their fashion sense and looks, too. Many have been accused of going under the knife, and her name has also featured on the list. She has also faced her share of trolling and has been bodyshamed. “About fashion sense, trolling or being body-shamed and the scrutiny, I think either they are ghostwriters, hiding behind their screens and writing rubbish about you or they simply lack compassion. I don’t waste my time thinking about trolls.”

On the personal front, she is single. She says, “I don’t like to talk about my personal life, as it takes the focus away from work. I am single and concentrating on my work currently,” she signs off.

Mouni Roy on her priorities as an actor and working with Rajkummar Rao
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 16, 2019)

Mouni Roy, TV’s Naagin, graduated to the big screen last year with the sports-drama Gold which featured her as Akshay Kumar’s Bengali biwi. The actress is now gearing up for a Diwali dhamaka with the quirky comedy, Made In China. The film is the journey of a struggling Gujarati businessman, Raghu, towards becoming a successful entrepreneur, with Mouni as Rajkummar Rao’s wife. She insists this character has nothing in common to her debut role.

What made her gamble with such an unusual subject so early in her career? “I have to thank Dinoo (Dinesh Vijan, producer) for that. They called me for a meeting and narrated the role to me. It was a complete no-brainer. Such roles and such stories don’t come every day,” she asserts, adding that since she doesn’t have many Gujarati friends, she took her cues from director Mikhil Musale, and writers Karan Vyas and Niren Bhatt.

Has any friend discussed sexual problems with her? “Not yet, but if anyone does, I’ll tell them what Raghu and Dr Vardi advise in the film, ‘For cough and cold, you go to a doctor, so for sexual problems you should see one as well,’” she laughs.

She admits she’s lucky to have worked with established actors like Akshay (Gold) and John Abraham (Romeo Akbar Walter). “You get to learn a lot from them. You see how they work and realise why they are where they are. Initially I was a little nervous with Rajkummar, but now I realise it will only make me a better actor,” she avers. Point out that neither of the two above mentioned films lived up to expectations and she retorts, “I don’t dwell on these things. My job is to act, and this is my first year. To get ahead, I need to focus more on my craft, not worry about box-office outcome.”

Having come from TV, where she was a huge name, there were expectations from her here too. Is she content with the reception she has got? “I have no complaints. I am a greedy actor and I want to be part of good stories. I am also a grateful and proud TV actor. I was very happy doing television and I am very happy making movies now,” Mouni avers.

Any collaboration on the cards with Ekta Kapoor who launched her in TV? “If she has a role for me, she will come to me and I’ll be happy to go back to her production house,” she beams. What about a TV comeback? “Not right now. TV requires a lot of time and commitment and presently my focus is films,” Mouni signs off.