Mona Singh might just be in her busiest phase, workwise, with The Ba**ds Of Bollywood, Munjya, Border 2 and recent Netflix’s Punjab-based crime neo-noir, Kohrra 2, hitting with the audience just right. But when she is not busy surprising and impressing the audience with her unconventional choice of roles and dishing out some acclaimed performances, Mona loves cooking and just being at home with her two babies – she is a dog mumma.“I am a recluse, I love being at home. I love to travel, cook for my loved ones and just be me,” she shared candidly as she interacted with women from the FICCI FLO Amritsar chapter on her recent visit to the holy city.“I love Amritsar, it’s my favourite city in the world. Not just the food, the people here have certain warmth and wholesomeness that one doesn’t experience anywhere else,” she declared. One can agree on that.As expected, Mona is a true blue Punjabi. “I love food and I love feeding people,” she said. And so, when she opened her first restaurant Kona Kona, a vintage, cozy and chic multi-cuisine place in Mumbai recently, the idea stemmed from her own memories connected with home-cooked food. “I wanted people to connect over some comfort food the way I remember it. Growing up in a Punjabi household meant food was considered central to family conversations and connections. My father helps me manage it right now,” said the foodie, whose favourite food list has daal-chawal on top.As for her other love, acting, Mona had no other plans. “There was no plan B. I was always very clear in what I wanted to do once I grew up. I believe that it was a divine plan, that I got my break playing a character like Jassi and over the years, continue to get scripts where I can go beyond what is expected of me,” she said.She entered the TV scene with the wildly popular, game changing show Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin and with the recent season of Netflix’s crime thriller drama, Kohrra 2, Mona has once again reminded the audience of her calibre and range as an actor. Even today, Mona prefers to look at the character than judge how her character ‘looks’. “This is how society has functioned for years. Women across countries and borders have been told how to live, how to look a certain way, what to wear. I never really cared about ageism. I want to do good work and so script and freedom to do my work the way I want is what I cherish,” she said.She has admitted repeatedly how she considers ‘Jassi’ a huge responsibility and her biggest achievement on-screen, yet, as women wanted to embrace their true self after the show. But her recent layered portrayal of a troubled cop, Dhanwant Kaur, comes closest as it is drawn out of real life.“As we see Dhanwant (in Kohrra 2) react and say, ‘What else do I need to do to prove my worth’ when her ability as a top officer is questioned. This is what women in authority mostly have to face, especially those in positions of authority or the public eye. Being a cop is tough — like in Punjab, some police officers end up having additional responsibilities that can include managing more than one station or taking extra charge beyond their normal duties. Their personal life goes for a toss, there is no time to channelise your personal or professional trauma. So, Dhanwant Kaur was a character I was drawn to, due to the constant scrutiny one has to face as a woman in a particular profession,” she said.Well, as she now basks in the success of Kohrra 2’s brilliant performance, Mona is set to surprise the audience once more as a sand mafia don in upcoming Anil Kapoor-starrer Subedar.