As I walk into this quaint, sunlit cafe in Bandra, I find myself scanning the room, searching for Mona Singh. The cafe is full and the chatter of a hundred conversations fills the air. And then that loud Punjabi laughter reaches my ears. I turn and there she is talking to her team member. If you didn't know her, you'd mistake her for a regular woman having a good time with her friend.
There are no trappings of stardom, no air, and no attempt to be the centre of attraction. I walk upto her and she flashes a smile. I am transported back to the Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin days. Right away, she tells me that she never had starry air about her.
Says she, "It's been 20 years now. I still remember when Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin was released. My father asked me to have my head over my shoulders and be grounded, despite success and money coming in. I am more adaptable to situations, also because I come from an army background. I don't take anything too seriously.
Success or failure, nothing is permanent. I have been persistent and I think that is the reason I'm still around." Mona's latest hit, Munjya, has captivated audiences and surpassed the 150 crore mark at the box office, proving that content truly is king. She shakes her head and says one really doesn't know what will work and what won't. She comments that thanks to OTT, the viewing habits of the masses have changed. The audience feels that the films come on the OTT platforms in some time and hence don't want to pay the price of the ticket for every release.
So Munjya crossing 100 crores in such a scenario is a big thing for her.
"A small budget film like Munjya crossing 100 crore is a whole new revelation. It has become a case study. I feel that it reinforces the fact that content is king and it always will be. Producers and directors should think about making a family entertainer, and not just looking at the hit formula, like going to Spain to shoot a song. It's not about that anymore.
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Breaking free
NIKKHIL ADVANI'S MAKING WAVES WITH HIS OTT DEBUT, FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT. HE TALKS ABOUT ITS GENESIS, HIS ASSOCIATION WITH KARAN JOHAR, AND WHAT'S REAL STARDOM WITH SRIJITA SEN
DECK THE HALLS
Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson join Tanzim Pardiwalla over a video call about their forthcoming Christmas film, Red One, possible Bollywood crossovers and their love for India
Class Act
NEHA DHUPIA SHARES THE SECRET OF JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD AND CAREER WHILE STAYING RELEVANT WITH FARHANA FAROOK
Deep end of the Ocean
Cancer survivor Mahima Chaudhary tells Farhana Farook that playing a similar person in The Signature proved cathartic for her
DESTINY'S WILD CHILD
ALAYA F CAUGHT IN A CONVERSATION WITH JITESH PILLAAI
SEOUL CONNECTION
Director Hwang Dong Hyuk and lead actors Lee Jung Jae and Wi Ha Joon of Squid Game fame talk about the global phenomenon with Tanzim Pardiwalla
"Smita was a victim.not a villain"
Manya Patil-Seth tells Farhana Farook why her late sister Smita Patil was a tragic contradiction – a pioneer of an actor but a prey of emotions
Best of Shatrughan Sinha's Rapid fire
With democracy facing a near-death situation in most of India's neighbouring countries, what, according to you, is the reason why Indian democracy is still standing strong in the current times? Gaurav Pant, New Delhi
THE RISE AND RISE OF PUSHPA 2
When Allu Arjun went to Patna around a month ago to showcase the trailer of Pushpa 2, naysayers mocked the move, stating that he's making a mistake about taking a Telugu film there. Guess what, the actor had the last laugh.
girl, uninterrupted
Fatima Sana Shaikh is so candid and forthright you don't believe she's a star.
