Mona Singh on extramarital affairs: The lady shouldn't be blamed

Mona Singh and Ronit Roy in a still from Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. Picture Courtesy: Instagram/monajsingh.

Mona Singh - an ideal 'bahu' for the television industry was shocked to receive the offer of portraying the 'other woman's character in a married man's life in the web show, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. However, the actor received rave reviews for her role in the form of e-mails and messages. The show, on the other hand, which narrates the story of a married man falling in love out of his 22-years of marriage, is all set with its second season with Ronit Roy (Rohit), Gurdeep Kohli (Poonam) and Mona Singh (Ananya) in pivotal roles. The web show - a soul-stirring romantic drama is already streaming on ALTBalaji but on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Talking to mid-day.com exclusively, Mona Singh happily shares her experience and excitement of Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 2.

Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai- if you had to define this term according to your understanding what would it be?
Most of the times, relationships are all about 'Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai'. They never actually become your Humsafar because there's a difference between being a boyfriend-girlfriend and a husband-wife. The expectations that change after the relationship stage are very different and that is what Ananya and Rohit are feeling in season 2 of this show. They know each other really well for the last three years but after marriage, they are expecting different things from each other, which is so weird. Things should never change after marriage, it should be the same. That's what it all comes down to 'Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai'.

What is your take on the extramarital affairs?
The kind of take Ekta Kapoor has on extramarital affairs is what made me believe in it. When she approached me for the role, she told me, 'Mona, I want you to play the other woman.' I told her, 'This is strange because normally I would get a call from you to say that 'I want you to play the wife' because on Tv people are mostly seen me play a positive role.' I couldn't envisage what she had seen. I asked her what was she talking about and Ekta told, 'Mona, there is no black and white in web series or in this content that I am creating. You are a normal independent and a happy woman, who happens to fall in love with a married man and then the consequences and the situations and how you deal with that.' After doing this show I realised that it's really not that bad and I said to myself that you are not the home breaker, it's the man, who has to go through that whole rigmarole. He is anyway going through a bad marriage and is seeking for love outside. The lady should not be blamed because it's the man, who is taking the call and is willing to leave his wife for the new love in his life. I received so many emails after season 1 saying, 'Thank You' and 'We understand your character because I am going through the same phase and I don't know what to do'. They have even asked me what am I doing in season 2 so that they can follow suit and that's like a huge pressure because in a way we end up inspiring people.

The responses you have received could be a repercussion of this topic still not been discussed openly in society.
Yeah because it is considered as a taboo and I don't know why people call it as a bold show because we are just showing the reality. This is how relationships are there for real. There are husbands and wives, who are having an extramarital affair and come back home looking normal. I don't understand that but what I understand is this (The show) which is very close to reality.

What kind of a lover are you?
I think I am a person who is a giver. I love to do things like keep myself free for the person I love, cook and do special things for them. It's the effort that I make and I think that's more important when you are in a relationship.

And how has your equation with Ronit Roy evolved over the period of time?
In the first season, Ronit and I had a lot of romantic scenes. I thought he was a very stubborn man and a bully because he doesn't listen and has been in the industry for many years. I was a bit nervous and vary about acting with him but on the first day of the shoot, I started calling him 'dada' (uncle) and the director asked, 'How can you call him dada? He's playing your lover in the show.' I think we cracked that code and we are like brothers now and in the game. I love spending time with him. There is so much to learn from him. His experience teaches all of us a lot - our directors, the actors, we all sit with him and listen to the little anecdotes that he has to share. I think he's a gem of a person.

Does marriage change your character of being a strong independent woman?
Marriage is not changing Ananya but it is making her realise that Rohit is not the same that he was before marriage. Maybe, somewhere he's expecting me to be Poonam. He's expecting me to sacrifice my work and sit at home and wait for him. Ananya was always a career-oriented and ambitious woman, which Rohit fell in love with and now suddenly the same things have become the problem in the marriage, which he is not understanding. So, this is the confusion that the viewers will get to see in the second season.

Do you think to get pregnant at an early stage in their career as a hindrance?
One needs to be prepared. When you are not prepared, it definitely comes as a shocker because that means you have not planned your life accordingly. So, the maternity leave and the understanding that you won't be able to travel so much... Of course, one loves the idea of being pregnant. At some point, I'm sure that every woman would want to get pregnant after her marriage or it's their personal choice but Ananya wasn't prepared.

You played the role of a mother in Yeh Hai Meri Family and here it's a contrast role. How do you unwind from one character and get into the other?
That's because I don't do two shows simultaneously. As a person, I prefer doing two shows a year, which is working for one show for three months, taking a break and then going back to something else. I can't do shows back-to-back, that's not my personality. I love to travel and be on my own. I am more of a director's actor. So, I go with the director's vision and I do not question.

Also Read: Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 2 brings a soul-stirring romantic drama

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