Love yes but marriage no, says Mona Singh

Though besotted by Karan Oberoi, actor-turned-anchor Mona Singh places her career first

Mona Singh is on a professional and personal high. Presently, she’s the anchor for 22 shows in which singers including Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu are performing. She says, “I’m on a 40-day tour to USA and Canada. I’ve been invited for tours abroad ever since my ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin’ days. Initially, I used to go for ribbon cuttings. But nowadays, I’m asked to anchor shows. I’ve become more confident.”  Mona adds, “I earn good money besides getting wide exposure. I don’t feel the need to slog it out in a daily serial for 30 days a month now.”

In marked contrast to her ‘Jassi’ days, Mona has lost 10 kilos following a strict diet and exercise regime. “I have learnt to zip my mouth for six days of the week and indulge myself only on one. My workout is an important feature of my schedule. I can carry off any outfit now. It’s tough work staying so slim but the results are worth every bit of the sweat,” Mona confesses.

Dismissing the cliché ‘we’re just friends’, Mona gets candid about her relationship with actor and host Karan Oberoi and says, “I love Karan. We share an amazing bond.  I took my time in saying ‘yes’ because I was uncomfortable by all the media attention on our private lives. But Karan made me realise that giving up on love was not the right thing.” She adds, “We are very compatible. I’ve always wanted to be with a person who would sing to me and Karan fits the bill perfectly.”

So when do they plan to get married? “What’s the hurry? We both have to settle down in our careers,” she laughs, refusing to confirm rumours of a March 2008 wedding.

Mona is determined to make it in films. “I was recently invited for the Bollywood Awards held in US. Interacting with big names from the film industry was good. They were all very warm towards me. I had a lovely interaction with director Rajkumar Hirani (‘Munnabhai’ fame) and expressed my desire to work with him,” she reveals.

Will she be open to exposing infilms? “No. I don’t need to because today the focus is on good content. Gone are the days when an actress had to strip to make a film run,” Mona explains.

Currently, Mona is seen in Lata Mangeshkar’s video ‘Mujhe khabar thi’ (part of the veteran’s latest album ‘Saadgi’). “The best compliment I received was from my dad. He was very proud that I was fully clothed in the video. It was shot in Kerala,” says Mona.

When is her reality show ‘Extreme Makeover’ going on air? “The delays are beyond our control since the surgeries and the healing are taking time. We’re dealing with victims who had resigned themselves to their fate. Bringing about a life changing experience for them is very humbling for me,” she answers.