'Very, very hungry for work': Mouni Roy slams labels after a tough 9-year move from TV to Bollywood

Mouni Roy has opened up about her long move from television to films and said she still wants to do more as an actor. The actor, who recently attended the Cannes Film Festival 2026, spoke about the years it took her to shift from TV to movies and the labels she faced along the way. Mouni said she remains ambitious, hungry for good work, and ready to take on different roles across films and streaming projects.

Mouni Roy's journey from TV to films

In a conversation with Brut, Mouni Roy reflected on her career, saying it took her 9 years to transition from television to films. She said, “I am very, very hungry for work.”





Mouni became a household name on television with shows such as ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, ‘Devon Ke Dev… Mahadev’ and ‘Naagin’. She later moved to films and worked in projects such as ‘Gold’, ‘Made in China’, ‘Brahmastra’ and ‘The Bhootnii’.

The actor also spoke about how people judged her through different phases of her career. She said, “I have been typecast since the beginning of my career. When I did Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, people said the girl next door can’t play a glam part. When I did a few reality shows, dance reality shows, they said I was too glamorous. When I did Sati, they said I was too Indian. When I did Naagin, it was ‘she can only do fantasy fiction or mythological shows.’ That’s something I’ve always dealt with, and it doesn’t really bother me.”

Mouni Roy talks about typecasting

Mouni said such labels no longer define her choices. She said, “It doesn’t matter whether you call me glamorous, stylish, or anything else – like saying she’s good for a certain kind of role.”

She added, “When I did Brahmāstra or Bhootnii, they said she’s good for these… not larger-than-life, but more outlandish roles. She can play these parts well. As long as – whether it’s glam, outlandish, girl next door, or dancing – if you can see that I’m putting in my hard work and 100%, and it resonates with the audience, that’s my takeaway from it.”

On the work front, Mouni is currently seen in ‘Salakaar’. The show also stars Naveen Kasturia, Asrar Khan, Janhavi Hardas, Mukesh Rishi, and Kuldeep Sareen. She will next be seen in David Dhawan’s ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, co-starring Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur.