Photograph by Bandeep Singh

Q&A with Mona Singh | On a roll

You've already seen Mona Singh in four projects this year—now, she's back with the Prime Video show 'Maa Ka Sum'

by · India Today

ISSUE DATE: May 4, 2026

Q. Stories about motherhood can easily slip into stereotypes. What felt subversive to you about your role in Maa Ka Sum?

What I liked about playing Vinita is that she’s not an ‘ideal’ mother. We’ve seen one-note mothers for a long time, but here, she is allowed to be flawed, even a little selfish at times. I think when you start seeing mothers as individuals, the storytelling automatically becomes more honest.

Q. Four months into 2026, your slate spans Happy Patel, Border 2, Subedaar and Kohrra 2. Is this moment a culmination of the risks you have taken over the past few years?

I’ve been working for a long time, and have always tried to choose work that excites me. Sometimes it works, sometimes it takes time. Right now, it feels like a lot of those choices are coming together.

Q. You have shared screen space with Aamir Khan at very different points in your career in 3 Idiots (2009), Laal Singh Chaddha (2022) and now Happy Patel (2026). How do you look at that evolving on-screen dynamic?

From being part of 3 Idiots to playing his mother in Laal Singh Chaddha, and now sharing a completely different dynamic again, it’s been quite surreal. Aamir is so involved and committed to the process that you learn a lot just by being around him.

Q. Streaming has blurred the lines between film and television actors. Has that shift changed how you view your own career trajectory?

Earlier, there were very clear boxes for us: TV actors and film actors. But now those lines don’t really exist. For me, it has always been about the work, not the medium. So, I don’t think my approach has changed much, but the possibilities definitely have—and that’s exciting.

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