"When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about,” wrote Haruki Murakami in Kafka on the Shore. After a decade in the film industry, these words resonate perfectly with actor-entrepreneur Sanya Malhotra. The 34-year-old, who completes a decade-long journey in 2026, is filled with gratitude and is still trying to wrap her head around the fact that it has been 10 years since her debut in the industry with Dangal in 2016. "It is a surreal feeling...I've been through so many phases as an actor...They've all been good, challenging and a mix of emotions. I feel really grateful and ecstatic to have this wonderful journey in the industry. I'm really grateful to have started with Dangal and now all the kind of films that I'm doing and the projects that are being offered to me," says Malhotra.
She was merely a 24-year-old in a new city. Navigating her way through the bylanes of Mumbai at a young age, she says she wouldn't have had it any other way. "I was 24 years old, freshly out of college. I was navigating a new city, living without my parents and my comfort. I was quite reticent when I was that young. So, to navigate this industry, to come here, I actually don't want my younger self to know anything... I'm glad that I was oblivious to so many things," says the Pagglait (2021) actor.
The debate about nepotism and being an outsider is an argument every actor deals with in the fraternity. However, Malhotra claims that she has "never felt like an outsider" and was always confident of making it big even before her debut project. "I have made my own space... I had made up my mind that I would become an actor. So, how could I make myself feel like an outsider? Luckily, I'm quite blessed that I've met people who have made me feel welcome. I never thought that I didn't belong here. I deserve all the opportunities I've gotten as an actor. And I deserve this life," says Malhotra as she beams with confidence.
She has made strong statements with the characters that she chooses to portray on screen. She says it has been a "conscious decision" to choose more relatable characters. However, she has also portrayed the role of women who are often overlooked, underestimated or silenced in life. Ask her how she brings these characters to life, and she says, "Sadly, it's not that, as a woman I have not faced that or not seen women around me go through something similar. There are so many factors and facets of being a woman. And I love exploring that with all my characters. As an actor, of course, you have to empathise and not just sympathise with the kind of characters that you are playing. But these women are around me. I have grown up being around such women. And I get naturally drawn to such characters."
{{/usCountry}}She has made strong statements with the characters that she chooses to portray on screen. She says it has been a "conscious decision" to choose more relatable characters. However, she has also portrayed the role of women who are often overlooked, underestimated or silenced in life. Ask her how she brings these characters to life, and she says, "Sadly, it's not that, as a woman I have not faced that or not seen women around me go through something similar. There are so many factors and facets of being a woman. And I love exploring that with all my characters. As an actor, of course, you have to empathise and not just sympathise with the kind of characters that you are playing. But these women are around me. I have grown up being around such women. And I get naturally drawn to such characters."
{{/usCountry}}The Jawan (2023) actor has always kept her personal life under the wraps. Reports suggested that she ended her relationship earlier this year. When asked about her relationship status now, she says, "My life is so full right now. I have been travelling a lot. I have my matcha business. I love that I am constantly busy, which is a new thing for me. Because I used to like my alone time. There is so much I am looking forward to." So, is Sanya too busy for dating? "I am not saying that. I am saying my life is full. My life is full. And I am in a very happy state," she says with a smile.
On the work front, Malhotra has a busy year starting with Sundar Poonam in 2027. Though the release date hasn't been announced yet, she says, "it is releasing very soon next year."