‘DON’T WANT TO JINX MY LUCKY STREAK’

Actor Mona Singh talks about winning the three reality shows that she has competed in so far

Actor Mona Singh has hosted many reality TV shows, but there have only been three shows that she was a part of as a contestant. “I have participated in three reality shows and I have won all of them,” she says, laughing. “I won Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in 2006 and then I was part of Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, which was judged by Sushmita Sen and former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram. I was paired with Bhajji (cricketer Harbhajan Singh). After I won that, I took part in another reality show, Arre Deewano Mujhe Pehchano, which was a standup comedy contest. I won that too, and thought to myself, ‘Let me not jinx the lucky streak’.”

The actor adds that she hasn’t participated in any other reality shows since then. “Imagine if I take part in another show and I win that too, people might think these shows were rigged and that I paid to win (laughs). Can you imagine feeling embarrassed about winning?” she says.

Mona has been offered spots on other reality shows, but she is clear about not competing anymore. “I know there are certain shows that I will never be part of, as there are certain things that I don’t want to do — Bigg Boss, for example. I love adventure and enjoy deep sea diving and bungee jumping. But I don’t want to do that on TV. It is for my own happiness,” she says.

Mona isn’t like other actors who are always busy with a project. Often, she picks up one TV show a year and enjoys her long breaks. But is one show a year enough? Mona thinks so. “I’m not working for money. I work for satisfaction, so there is no pressure or thought that I have to earn so much, so let’s pick up this and that.

I like to feed the traveller in me. I need to travel, which is why I end up doing one show a year.”

However, this year seems to be an exception. “I have been super busy since January. I shot a web series for the first three months. It was a different experience and the show will launch in July. Then in April, I began hosting a reality show that will end in July. I also have another web series for Ekta’s (Kapoor) production company lined up. I will shoot for that from July to August,” she says.