Mona Singh Says Career Shift Came After She Started Saying No to 90% of Offers

Mumbai, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Actress Mona Singh has opened up about the choices that shaped her career, saying a major turning point came when she began turning down around 90 per cent of the television projects offered to her.

Reflecting on the balance between industry opportunities and personal decisions, Mona said she believes both external circumstances and an actor’s choices play a role in shaping a career.

“I think 40 percent is the industry. They provide the soil, the script, the platform, and 60 percent is me. You know, I choose which seeds to plant and, most importantly, which ones to pull out,” she said.

Recalling her early years after the success of Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Mona said many decisions were made around her and she became associated with the image of a relatable “girl next door”.

“After Jassi, I had suddenly become the relatable girl next door, you know, the moral compass, the heart. So all the choices that I was being offered was within those four walls,” she recalled.

According to Mona, her career began to change when she learned to be selective about the work she accepted.

“The real shift happened when I started saying no to 90 percent of the shows that were being offered to me,” she said, adding that she chose to wait for projects such as Made in Heaven, Laal Singh Chaddha, The Ba**ds of Bollywood* and Kohrra.

Mona described building a career as a process involving both personal choices and circumstances beyond an actor’s control.

“The architecture of a career, you know, is rarely a solo project. I feel it’s a constant tug of war between the blueprint that you draw and the weather conditions around you,” she said.

Mona first gained widespread recognition as Jassi in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, which premiered in 2003. She later appeared in shows including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do and Kavach… Kaali Shaktiyon Se.

She made her film debut with a supporting role in Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots in 2009 and subsequently expanded into digital projects, including Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, Yeh Meri Family, Made in Heaven and Kohrra.