Actress Mona Singh, who has showcased her acting prowess with her work in projects such as Made in Heaven, Laal Singh Chaddha, 3 Idiots and most recently in Kohrra season 2, has spoken about the role of the industry and her own decisions in shaping her career.

Mona said in a statement: “I think 40 percent is the industry. They provide the soil, the script, the platform, and 60 percent is me. You know, I choose which seeds to plant and, most importantly, which ones to pull out.”

Speaking about her initial years, she said: “So talking about my Jassi era, you see, a lot of things, a lot of decisions were made around me, for me. You know, after Jassi, I had suddenly become the relatable girl next door, you know, the moral compass, the heart. So all the choices that I was being offered was within those four walls.”

The actress said that the real shift started to happen when she learned the art of saying no.

“The real shift happened when I started saying no to 90 percent of the shows that were being offered to me. So the architecture was choosing to wait for shows like Made in Heaven, for Laal Singh Chaddha, for Bads Of Bollywood, and recently for Kohraa.”

The actress said: “So the architecture of a career, you know, is rarely a solo project. I feel it's a constant tug of war between the blueprint that you draw and the weather conditions around you.”

Mona gained recognition for her role in the soap opera Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, which first premiered in 2003. She was then seen in the first season of the reality series Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and Kya Huaa Tera Vaada.

She shot to major stardom with her work in shows such as Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do and Kavach... Kaali Shaktiyon Se.

Mona made her film debut with a supporting role in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama 3 Idiots in 2009 and then branched out to the web space with Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain and Yeh Meri Family.