It would not be a stretch to say that Mona Singh is the actress of the season (or rather, every season). In the first quarter of 2026 alone, she was seen playing a Goan gangster in Happy Patel, a fauji wife in Border 2, a policewoman in Kohhra 2, and in a villainous avatar in Subedar. Now, she is beginning the second quarter of the year with the Amazon Prime Video show Maa Ka Sum.
Mona Singh on math
In the show, she plays Vinita, a single mother to a teenage son who is also a math genius. The story follows the son as he builds an algorithm using his mathematical skills to create the perfect dating app to find an ideal partner for his mother.
Naturally, the show involves a lot of math. Ahead of its April 3 premiere, Mona spoke to Mid-day and shared her relationship with the subject during her school days. “I was terrible in math,” she laughed, adding that her father only asked her to secure passing marks, which she managed to do.
She added that the subject gave her nightmares. “Just before examinations, I remember I couldn’t sleep. I used to have nightmares where I would go blank and leave the paper empty. I used to get those dreams.”
Mona on playing diverse roles
While math troubled her as a student, her career choices are now clearly paying off. Not just 2026, but the past two years have been strong for the actress, who has impressed audiences with diverse roles across films and series. When asked about this surge in opportunities, Mona said it stemmed from her decision to wait rather than chase regular paychecks and visibility. “I never wanted to repeat myself. The architecture was choosing to wait, and I waited happily.”
She explained, “When I decided to take a break from TV, that leap was massive. You are still getting offers, the biggest daily soaps, but I didn’t want to box myself into something repetitive. I didn’t want that.”
“I think a massive leap happens when you wait patiently and have faith in your journey and yourself. This is what I love to do, and I am getting the opportunities now. The wait paid off with projects like Made in Heaven, Laal Singh Chaddha, Maa Ka Sum, Subedaar, and Happy Patel,” she added.
Mona also credited the OTT boom for enabling stronger roles for women. “OTT is the biggest game changer. It has given us more room to be messy, honest, raw, and unfiltered, and that’s what women are. Earlier, you were either positive or negative; there was nothing in between. Now, we are so much more. It’s a lovely change.”
With better opportunities and audience response, she has also gained the confidence to say no. “Ninety percent of the time, I’ve said no to things I didn’t want to do. The shift happened when I stepped away from relatable tropes. Otherwise, it was the same setting, same décor, same character, and I didn’t want that.”
