Mona 's new hamper

Here… there…she is everywhere! Mona Singh is the ma'am of the moment on the small screen as she hops from one reality show to another…

You have been anchoring Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa on Sony and now you will host Shaadi 3 Crore Ki on Imagine…

Yes, before that it was two seasons of Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega and I also hosted quite a few episodes of Champion Chaalbaaz No. 1 (both on Sony). So it's been a lot of Mona Singh talking non-stop on the telly (laughs)! But since every reality show that I have hosted has turned out to be such a big hit, no one's really complaining about seeing so much of me every time they switch on the TV!

On what basis do you pick and choose the reality shows you want to be a part of?

Everything that I do has to be unique. I started off with Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, which has been one of the most unique shows on Indian television. Then I did Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega in which people had to showcase their talents in just a minute — it really couldn't get more exciting and different than that. Jhalak is the biggest dance reality show on television and has its own unique format. And now there is Shaadi 3 Crore Ki in which we are giving a normal everyday couple Rs 3 crore to spend on their wedding.

So that's what Shaadi 3 Crore Ki is about?

I have been a part of many reality shows, but even at the risk of sounding cliched, I have to tell you that this is one show that is very hatke (laughs). It's a very simple concept in which we pick a couple who are about to get married and give them Rs 3 crore, no questions asked! The show is all about what each of us fantasises about all the time — a dream wedding and tons of money!

What is it about Shaadi 3 Crore Ki that interested you?

That it's completely real — real people, real locations, real emotions, real drama…. Plus the fact that we are shooting in my hometown Delhi. There is no better place than Delhi to see what a big fat Indian wedding should be like. Also, as I mentioned, the emotions on the show are so real. When we spoke to the couple and asked them to quote the maximum that they could spend on their wedding, they could go up to only Rs 50 lakhs. For an average Indian family, the budget for a wedding is always in the range of two to five lakhs. So can you imagine how Rs 3 crore can mess up their minds? There is happiness, there is guilt, there is jealousy, there is backbiting… you will find all ingredients of reality TV on Shaadi 3 Crore Ki.

How do you fit into the show?

Well, I act as the link between the couple and the audience. I actually represent the bride's side while Ali (Asgar, television actor and Mona's co-host) represents the groom's side. So you can expect a lot of fun and laughter and nonk-jhonk between the two of us. In fact, we have shot for an episode already and I feel I am in Delhi attending a family wedding; it just doesn't feel like work!

If you were given Rs 3 crore to spend on your wedding, what would you do?

Oh my god! I would go completely berserk. Shoes, clothes, jewellery… I would make sure that I had exclusive editions made for everything in my trousseau. My groom would come in a chopper, we could get married on a cruise, we could go around the world for our honeymoon… the options are endless. I am dreaming already!

So when does Mona Singh plan to get married?

Give me Rs 3 crore, I will get married right here, right now! Oh wait, I have to find a man first!

Why haven't you done fiction after Jassi?

I have consciously kept away because I know that anything that I do in fiction will never be as big as Jassi. That show changed the lives of so many people… it left such a lasting impression. Even today, people know me not as Mona Singh, but as Jassi. I don't want to do a run-of-the-mill bahu role and spoil that.

After 3 Idiots, you had a release last month in Utt Pataang and two more films are coming up this year. Are you looking to shift focus to films?

If Bolly stars can do TV and films, why can't TV stars do the same too? But yes, TV has made me what I am and I will always want to do something on TV all the time. Films are a bonus.