Mona Singh Condemns Unreal Beauty Standards For Making Women Feel 'Not Enough': Barrier Should Break | EXCL

Mona Singh changed the way the audience looked at actresses on television with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (2003). Challenging beauty standards for female actors and on-screen characters, she is one of the pioneers

of evolution. In an exclusive interview with Zoom, Mona opened up about going against the tide and refusing to stay in her comfort zone. From Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on television to films like Laal Singh Chaddha and OTT titles including Kaala Paani and The Ba***ds Of Bollywood, she experimented with different roles.

Mona Singh says being complacent is 'unattractive'

Talking to Zoom, Mona exclusively said, “I have always gone by this feeling that I am not going to sit and wait for the opportunity to come my way. I think that's very unattractive,” she said before adding, “The most attractive thing is to be ambitious and to just go for it, to not stay complacent.” Refusing to be complacent, the actress shared, “I never sat in a place thinking that I will do TV and I will do it for 5 years, because it's comfortable. I have never done that.”ALSO READ: Mona Singh On 'Stressful' 18-Hour Shoots: We Barely Sleep, Yet Are Expected To Deliver | Exclusive

Challenging status quo

Discussing her career graph, Mona proudly said, “My first show, Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, changed every rule in the industry. A girl who was supposed to look pretty, glamourous and only think about vanity while entering the industry, I broke that norm. For me, as an actor, person, and human being, I have always challenged the status quo. I seek comfort and love at home, but outside, I love adrenaline, challenges, and taking up something new that I haven't done. From Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin to The Ba***ds Of Bollywood, it's been a spectacular journey. I've learned so much from every role that I've played. I have unlearned so many things. It's a constant process of evolution.”

Mona's views on beauty standards

Mona further opened up about never giving in to unrealistic beauty standards. For the actress, ‘vanity is about not just looking good, but feeling confident about yourself and looking after yourself.’ She added, “These unreal beauty standards where we see all these magazines, where photos are photoshopped, it's just putting women in a position where they feel that ‘I'm not good enough’. That is the barrier that we need to break and get out where we should be able to accept ourselves for who we are. There is no harm in looking good and working out for yourself. If you are feeling good, but otherwise, to take this pressure that I am not enough and I don't look good enough is just insane.”

Social media setting unrealistic norms

When asked whether social media’s beauty norms have a toxic influence on aspiring actors, she agreed, saying, “Half of the things you see on social media are not true. People posting all their holiday pictures and stuff, are they really happy? Nothing is perfect, and nobody is leading a perfect life. Nobody can ever look perfect. We have to accept our flaws and who we are. But the good thing is that we need to work on ourselves. We need to become better human beings, keep evolving, and growing with time, without taking these social media things too personally. People feel depressed and bad when they have less followers. I don't know which world we are living in.” After The Ba***ds Of Bollywood, Mona’s upcoming projects are Paan Parda Zarda, Ma Ka Sum, Border 2 and Happy Patel Khatarnaak Jasoos.