Sanya Malhotra is as authentic as they come when it comes to playing parts that have an impact.
When you walk with giants, you often wind up walking like them. Sanya Malhotra’s aspiration for perfection was fueled by her fantasy Dangal debut alongside Aamir Khan. She has built a career out of looking for films with strong content, much like her mentor. She has impressed the audience with her natural performance in a variety of films, including Badhaai Ho, Pataakha, Photograph, Ludo, Pagglait, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, Love Hostel, and her most recent offering, Hit: The First Case. She portrayed characters that were essential to the project; she wasn’t just pretty to look at in these movies. She learned the value of planning from Dangal. “We were really forced to push ourselves during Dangal. That essentially set the groundwork for my career as an actor because I witnessed the positive reception the movie received upon its premiere. Now, whenever I tackle a character, I like to put in the same amount of handwork for it, even if it does not require any physical training like Dangal. The past five years have been an adventure of a lifetime for me.”
She has gained a great deal of knowledge from the master storytellers thanks to her collaborations with a number of creative filmmakers, including Vishal Bhardwaj, Nitesh Tiwari, and Anurag Basu. She thanks them and says, “I’ve been fortunate to work with such directors since I’m an actor with no formal instruction. For example, Chhutki from Pataakha was totally different from me as a person. I told Vishal ji I couldn’t see myself in her because she was so loud and nasty. He encouraged me to let go of my inhibitions and said he could see me doing the part well. I felt more assured as a performer as a result. There is nothing I can’t do if I can portray a figure like Chhutki.” She advises actors to avoid stereotyping and to select parts that make them uneasy. “How would you develop otherwise?” She inquires. You won’t do anything that hinders your development unless it comes naturally to you. She mentions how a conversation with Ayushmann Khurrana has helped her concentrate on her objectives in light of her varied filmography. He responded, “Whenever I am receiving a narration, I listen to it as an audience,” which is such a good point, when I asked him, “What’s your secret?”
Sanya, like Ayushmann, prefers to take roles as they come, casting herself first as a spectator. At this juncture, she is only concerned with honing her craft and is not considering large box office numbers. She pursues the acting roles that inspire her. “I go with what drives me creatively. I am aware that these are important considerations, regardless of a film’s box office performance, but I have not yet done so. I might start thinking about it in a few years, but for the time being, I choose a character or a movie solely based on how excited I am about it.”
She has collaborated with some of the top actors working today, including Rajkummar Rao in Hit: The First Instance and Ayushmann Khurrana in Badhaai Ho. She has Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming film Sam Bahadur to look forward to. Who wouldn’t want to collaborate with Rajkummar Rao, she asks in reference to her co-stars. He is incredible and a great performer. I enrolled in the movie because I wanted to visit the scene and observe what he does in action. He changes as soon as the camera begins rolling. It was really motivating to see that. As for Vikrant Massey, he is a brilliant actor and an incredible collaborator.” Concludes Sanya.