Why Mihir Ahuja is betting big on Maa Ka Sum

Two years after the release of The Archies, Mihir Ahuja is finally seeing the dividends of what was a breakthrough role for him. Ahuja played Jughead in the Zoya Akhtar-directed drama which marked the debut of Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Dot. Compared with Akhtar’s earlier ventures, the young adult film didn’t have as many admirers, but for Ahuja it was an experience he cherished. “It gave me great visibility to be working with such cast members and Zoya. I am so happy about it. I gained a lot from it and things have been great post that,” he says.

One of the opportunities to come his way post is Maa Ka Sum, an Amazon Prime series centred around a mother-son relationship. Ahuja plays the son, a math prodigy who devises algorithms to build an app that will help him find a suitable man for his mother (Mona Singh). The eight-episode show, produced by Eunoia Films, released on April 3. “It is great when you get to play the leading man,” says Ahuja about headlining a show, his second this year after Shabad on ZEE5. “I like the burden on my shoulders.”

To make him compelling for the part, two IIT professors were on set to make the math comprehensible to the actors. “As actors that’s what we are good at, we can make a fool out of you and you wouldn’t know,” Ahuja smiles.

Maa Ka Sum is Ahuja’s third collaboration with Mona Singh. In the first, M.O.M (Mission Over Mars), they didn’t have any scenes and only met at the wrap-up party; the second, Made in Heaven, would be a game-changer for both. The duo garnered much attention for their work (co-incidentally, in that show they were also cast as mother and son). In Ahuja’s case, his performance would result in Zoya considering and finally casting him for The Archies.

Ahuja is effusive in his praise of Mona who has had a fabulous run in 2026 so far. “She always makes everyone comfortable around her,” he says. “She is a great human being to start with. I love her company, her discipline and motivation towards life. She is amazing at the work she’s doing which is why she is getting so much work. Even if I can be 1/4th of what Mona is, I will be successful.”

Unlike Made in Heaven where he was a handful teen, Ahuja plays a more considerate and concerned son in Maa Ka Sum. For the 28-year-old actor it’s the show’s novel take on a familiar relationship that makes the show interesting. “In [Indian] societies parents are usually trying to set up their kids. I don’t see much of the other way around,” says Ahuja. “Here, I am using my mathematical algorithm to set up a date for my single mom. It not what my character or the mother thinks, math is the boss here.”

Ahuja is also hopeful that the show breaks taboos in society around ageism in love. “Single moms should be given another chance to fall in love,” he notes.

The actor’s cinematic journey started young at 19 when he started auditioning for parts until he landed his first gig at 21. An outsider he is but he calls the industry “an easier place” because of his passion for being in front of the camera. Work keeps flowing but the sense of being at ease is never a guarantee. “One can never figure things out in any arena. I can’t sit and say this is where life takes you. You never know what works and doesn’t. I believe in one day at a time,” he says. “As makers and writers get to see the work you do, they get to see you in a different light. One hopes they feel that they can vouch for this actor and work with him.”

2026 looks to be a promising one for Ahuja at least on the streaming front. He next appears in Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar, based on an Indian Air Force mission in the Kargil War in 1999. The actor is just grateful to have had the chance to play three different characters in such a short span. “I want to be known as a versatile actor. I just want the show and my work to be appreciated.”

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