Last year, Mona Singh made heads turn in the climax of Aryan Khan’s directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood on Netflix India. Within a few seconds, she transformed from the stereotypical filmy maa to Lakshya’s Aasman Singh to a junior artist dancing to “Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela” from Rajiv Rai’s 1997 romantic thriller Gupt: The Hidden Truth, alongside Bobby Deol.
The actor admits her experience of winning the inaugural season of Sony Entertainment Television’s dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa came into play then. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, she further talks about shooting that climax, Shah Rukh Khan’s promise to her, and why Aryan’s rise as a unique directorial voice feels personal to her.
Did shooting the climax of The Ba***ds of Bollywood feel like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa all over again?
I was coming from a very different world when I was asked to shoot the climax. I’d just finished shooting Kohrra season 2. So, I was coming from such a dark, gritty world and suddenly thrown into this climax. I was like, “Okay, just give me a minute.” And Shah Rukh Khan was also there on set. He was cheering me on, “Come on, Mona!” I was dying. He was shooting for an ad in the same studio, so he came to visit. I told Aryan, “I can’t dance like this in front of your dad!” It did feel like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa all over again. It was a lot of fun, but it was a little tricky because Bobby wasn’t really shooting with us. We had to match the steps and everything was done on VFX later.
What will it take for you and Shah Rukh to share the screen space now?
He’s promised to work with me. I’ve been a diehard fan. I’m hoping!
You’ve worked with Bobby and Sunny, since you played his wife in Anurag Singh’s period war drama Border 2 earlier this year. How different are they from each other?
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Bobby is more chill because he’s the younger, pampered one. Sunny sir is a little more serious, also because of the screaming and shouting we get to see in his onscreen avatar. But as two individuals, they’re beautiful to work with. They just make you feel so comfortable. There’s a lot of joking around and funny anecdotes with Sunny. He’d tell us which spa is better for massage. He makes sure everybody has a good time with him. And with Sunny sir, it was all about food. Chalo ab khana khaate hain! There’s this entire entourage who travels with him, and his personal cook is also with him. So, when we were shooting for Border 2, we had a ball of a time. Chhole-bhature, kulche, puriyan! He was feeding everybody and making sure you’re looked after.
Do you have a soft corner for Border 2 because you’re an army daughter yourself?
Yes! Not only that, this movie was just meant for me. It found me. Sometimes, it’s the script that chooses you. And that’s exactly what happened with Border 2. My dad fought the 1971 Indo-Pak War. The first scene which you see in the film, in which the Pakistanis and Sunny sir step on a mine, my dad and his colleagues also stepped on a mine. Four of them lost their foot in that war. So, it felt very personal to me. It was a tribute to my dad.
Aryan Khan was one of the biggest fans of your debut TV show, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. What do you feel about his journey, from then to directing you in his debut show?
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Aryan was very enthusiastic on set. He made sure everybody is okay, happy, well-fed. We had discussions before the scene and workshops one day before the shoot every time. He was very, very serious about a show that’s not serious (laughs). The kid has everything in life, but he’s so humble. At the same time, he was so particular about how a line has to be said. But he also asked us to experiment and try another way. So, there was no one particular path he was following. He was letting the actors be, listened to them, and was very collaborative.
I’m so, so proud of him. The world was going crazy with the show. There was unprecedented love for not just the actors and the story, but also the director. People loved what he delivered. I remember calling him two days after the release and telling him, “Aryan, you’re my star!” And you know what he said? “Ma’am, sitaare toh bahut hain, aasman ek hi hai.” I love that he’s so casual about it. He just feels like one of my own. I feel very happy ki haaye, tarakki kar raha hai. Achha naam kama raha hai. It feels very personal.
