Mona Singh

Biography

Mona Singh (pronounced [ˈmoːnaː sɪŋɡʱ]; born 8 October 1981) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. Singh is recognised for her role in the soap opera Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (2003–2006). She is the recipient of two ITA Awards and one Filmfare OTT Award. Singh is known for participating and winning the first season of the reality series Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and for playing Mona Chopra in Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, Preet Singh in Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do, and Paridhi Bundela in Kavach... Kaali Shaktiyon Se. She made her film debut with a supporting role in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama 3 Idiots (2009), which ranks as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Singh expanded to web with Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain (2018) and earned praises for Yeh Meri Family (2018) and Made in Heaven (2023).

== Life and family == Mona Singh was born on 8 October 1981 in a Sikh family in Chandigarh.

== Career ==

=== Television career === Singh first appeared on Hindi television with Sony Entertainment Television's soap opera Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (2003–2006). The show made her a household name, and she won awards such as Apsara Awards, Indian Telly Awards and Indian Television Academy Awards. In 2006, she participated in and won the first season of the reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. She hosted Femina Miss India and the second season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2007, followed by her win in Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena in 2008. Singh then teamed up with Ekta Kapoor's banner Balaji Telefilms for the first of four consecutive fiction show collaborations in NDTV Imagine's Radhaa Ki Betiyaan Kuch Kar Dikhayengi where she was cast as Raunaq Makhija from 2008 to 2009. She hosted Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2009), Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 (2010), Shaadi 3 Crore Ki (2010), Star Ya Rockstar (2011) and CID Veerta Awards (2012) and was a participant on Meethi Choori No 1 (2010). By returning to fiction shows, she entered Sony Entertainment Television's Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, produced by Kapoor, in 2012 as Mona, a wife whom her husband leaves and divorces due to an extramarital affair with his former girlfriend. The show ended in 2013, and she took a break from television afterwards also. Two years later, Singh made a comeback to television in October 2015 with Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do, her third consecutive show to be produced by Kapoor where she played Preet Singh, a woman who lost her parents. Due to low ratings, Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do went off air within three months in January 2016. Later, in 2016, she featured in Kapoor's supernatural production Kavach...Kaali Shaktiyon Se as Paridhi, a married woman attempting to protect her husband from his former lover who has turned into a spirit post death and arrived to haunt the couple, and hosted Comedy Nights Bachao. In September 2021, she hosted the &TV's show Mauka-E-Vardaat.

=== Web series career === In 2018, Singh ventured into web world with her portrayal of Ananya in Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain. That year she also starred in The Viral Fever and Netflix series Yeh Meri Family. In 2019, she was seen in ZEE5 and ALT Balaji series Mission Over Mars. She next appeared in Black Widows on ZEE5. In 2023, Singh appeared in the Zoya Akhtar created Made In Heaven as Bulbul Jauhari. Singh played the role of an auditor attempting to bring the company out of debt whilst simultaneously handling a police case against her son. She received critical acclaim for her role from critics and audiences alike. Singh next appeared in a brief but pivotal role as a doctor in Netflix's Kaala Paani. Her performance was well received by critics. In 2025, she starred in a supporting role in The Ba***ds of Bollywood. In 2026, she appeared in a leading role in the second season of the series Kohrra. Her performance was praised by The Hindu's Anuj Kumar writing, "As a grieving mother in a police uniform, Mona Singh, is a powerhouse ready to implode."

=== Film career === Singh made her film debut in 2009 with the supporting character of Mona Sahastrabuddhe in Rajkumar Hirani's Hindi satirical comedy 3 Idiots, which became one of the highest grossing Indian films with a global accumulation of about ₹4 billion (US$42 million). She next appeared in Utt Pataang, Zed Plus and Amavas. In 2022, she appeared in Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, where she played the protagonist’s mother. Despite being 16 years younger than Khan, Singh defended her role and stated, "I’m not playing Aamir Khan’s mother, I’m playing Laal’s mother." In 2026, Singh appeared in the films Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, Border 2, and Subedaar.

== Media image ==

With her performances in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Singh established herself as a highly regarded actress in Hindi television. In 2012, Singh appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list, ranking 97th with an estimated annual income of ₹22.5 million (US$230,000).