Mouni Roy, 40, received widespread criticism for playing the mother of Varun Dhawan, 39, in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. While the casting choice sparked trolling and debate online, the actress remained unfazed. In a recent interview, Mouni opened up about the backlash, revealing why she took on the unconventional role.
Mouni Roy on playing Varun Dhawan’s mother
When asked about the trolling she faced for playing Varun’s mother, Mouni told News18, “I can’t do anything about it. I didn’t care what the noise was. I didn’t care what people were saying. It became such a big thing that, ‘How can the makers do this to me!’ But I knew what I had done in the film. I knew that my director was very happy, and so was everybody I worked with on the film.”
“I’m a huge David Dhawan fan. His films are my friends. They are my comfort watch. He said that this would be his last film. I was doing comedy for the first time, so I was really looking forward to it. They also kept me away from all the promotions. It was a good call as it made people curious about what I was doing in the film!” Mouni remarked.
However, she admitted that she too was taken aback when she learnt that she would play Varun’s fake mother in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. “First, Mukesh Chhabra had called me. When he told me about the part, my first reaction was also that. I was like, ‘His mother?’” she said, adding that she burst into laughter after hearing the entire script.
On the personal front, Mouni made headlines after reportedly separating from Suraj Nambiar following four years of marriage. The couple shared a joint statement on social media, requesting privacy.
Mouni Roy’s upcoming projects
The actress was recently seen in Varun Dhawan’s comic caper Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai and the web series Ab Hoga Hisaab, alongside Sanjay Kapoor, Shaheer Sheikh, Nimrat Kaur Ahluwalia and Avinash Mishra. Apart from this, she also has Madhur Bhandarkar’s The Wives, which also stars Shalini Passi. The film explores the internal struggles of celebrity wives. Mouni is also part of Chiranjeevi’s Telugu film Vishwambhara.
