Ekta wanted me to be 'cool mom' post leap: Mona Singh

An Ekta Kapoor TV show post a leap would typically age a mother by adding a few streaks of white hair, a pair of spectacles and a dash of conservative dressing. But she has broken her own mould by giving actress Mona Jaswir Singh a more contemporary and cool look in "Kya Huaa Tera Vaada", which has recently gone ahead by 10 years.

Before the leap, which set in just last week, Mona was seen in traditional suits and saris. Post leap, she is seen in kurtis and pants. It was a conscious decision by Ekta, says the actress, who plays a single, independent mother of three in the show.

"I asked Ekta about it - whether she would want me to wear saris in sober colours or what changes would be made to the look. But she said, 'I want you to look like today's mothers. They are much cooler.' So she wanted to bring in the change we are all seeing in our mothers and wanted to portray me as a cool mom," Mona told IANS over the phone amid a hectic shooting schedule for the show.

"Of course, she said we could add in the spectacles while my character reads or something, but in the overall get up, there isn't much dramatic change," she added.

"Kya Huaa Tera Vaada", aired on Sony, started as a simple family show, narrating the ups and downs of a middle class family in Mumbai. It took a crucial turn when the man of the house falls back upon a former flame, and trouble ensues for the family.

The story was pushed ahead by a decade after Mona's on screen husband Pradeep, played by Pawan Shankar, was shown dead. Now, her character is shown as a strong lady, who is happy running a restaurant and bringing up her three children, albeit not as a strict mother.

"I think mothers make great friends. Personally, my mother is my best friend and I share all my secrets with her. Moms are so amazing. I see a lot of children have started treating their moms like their friends. That is what we have tried to reflect through our show, and I hope lots of mothers imbibe this attitude too," Mona said.

She also hopes the show and its turns manage to inspire women in more than one way.

"Such serials are inspiring. It gives a message that no matter what happens, it is important to get a grip on life and get going," she said.

The show has worked wonders for Mona, who for years, was caught in the image trap of the geeky Jassi of "Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin". Though she took up reality shows, both as a contestant and anchor, it is with "Kya Huaa Tera Vaada" that she has been able to set a new image.