That happy feeling...

Sanya Malhotra starrer Kathal won a lot of applause. Suman Sharma asks her about her progress as an actor and more

Sanya Malhotra was praised for her role of a young cop in her recent release Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery. She’s always been seen as a natural in front of the camera. Ask her about it and she plays it down, saying she’s only reacting to the director’s diktats. She’s as wide-eyed about the movies today as she was when she started off in Dangal (2016). Seven years have passed since then but she’s still gung-ho about putting on the greasepaint and facing the camera. Presenting excerpts from a candid interview with the fiery actress.

WHAT MADE YOU SIGN KATHAL?

This film came to me right after Pagglait, which has been one of my career-changing films. Producer Guneet Monga had given me a one-liner on Kathal, which was a unique concept. And it intrigued me. It had so much to offer, like comedy, drama and romance. Beside, there is an important social message attached to it, so it was the perfect sort of film that I as an actor was looking for.

DO YOU FEEL PRESSURED TO PERFORM BETTER EACH TIME?

Without a doubt. I wouldn’t describe it as pressure. But that’s the way it is. If you don’t do anything unusual or try anything new, you won’t know whether you’re good at it or not. So it is complacency, not pressure that scares me the most. I always believe that the day I become complacent is the day I should give up acting. My only goal as an actor is to keep trying new things and different characters and learning. That student in me should never die.

YOU HAVE ALWAYS PORTRAYED STRONG CHARACTERS. ARE YOU ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SUCH FILMS?

100 per cent. I take it as a responsibility to portray women beautifully on screen. And I won’t take the entire credit for it because I feel there are so many good writers now, who are writing amazing characters. If we take Mahima in Kathal, I think the writers have written her with so much empathy, which I really admire. And I am glad to be a part of this change in the industry, where we are seeing some amazing female characters and female-led films.

ACTORS ARE OFTEN THEIR HARSHEST CRITICS. DO YOU CONCUR?

Yes, it is true in my case. I’ve realised that I can be hard on myself at times. It can be difficult for me to impress myself with my work. I’m not sure why. I’ve gotten better over the years, eversince Shakuntala Devi came out. I’ve practised not being so hard on myself and it has helped. I want to enjoy the entire release process because there will be stress when the film is released. The truth is that I do not want to let go of the character or the film in which I was involved. Letting go takes time. We spend so much time with these characters. And in those two-three hours of the film, people come, judge you and leave. So I have a problem letting go.

HOW DID YOU LEARN TO LET GO?

I have started celebrating the period where I am promoting the film. It is the last leg of making a film, where you celebrate your journey, where you are reliving your character’s life and what all she went through. It’s like when you are reading a book and, at the end, you have to answer questions. It is an exam-like feeling. Now, I have started enjoying this whole process, like meeting the media and giving interviews. That has helped me let go of that attachment to what the audience will think. You have control over your character only until the time you shoot and until the time you are dubbing it. After that you have to leave the character, it doesn’t remain yours. That film doesn’t belong to you anymore. The script on which you have worked for years no longer remains yours. The character on which you worked so hard doesn’t remain yours anymore. At the end of the day, it becomes a film that we give to the audience. So I think that has really helped me.

YOU STARTED WITH DANGAL, THEN MEENAKSHI SUNDARESHWAR, PAGGLAIT, AND NOW KATHAL. YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY.

I think I have experienced growth. And that growth is very sustainable. It is not that I have reached the peak and there is nothing left to do. That has not come into my life. After Dangal, Badhaai Ho was a major success. I have worked with Vishal Bhardwaj, Ritesh Batra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. There are so many good actors and good directors that I have worked with up until now. I find that this sort of growth is sustainable. Every year my film is released, every year I am able to entertain the audience, I mark it up as success. There was no dull moment in my career at all. And I really get a lot of love for my work, whether it is Pagglait or Meenakshi Sundareshwar, Ludo, or Badhaai Ho.

DO YOU SEE A CHANGE IN YOURSELF AS AN ACTOR AND AS A PERSON OVER THE YEARS?

I think I have become more confident. I have accepted myself the way I am. And also it has come with age, not just because of my work. Personally, I also feel comfortable being myself in front of the camera. And whenever I am meeting people because of my job, there is definitely a sense of confidence.

HAVE YOU UNDERSTOOD THE INDUSTRY BETTER AFTER SEVEN YEARS?

I was in awe of my co- stars earlier. Because I have been watching everyone since childhood and it took me five-six years to eliminate the excitement and the feeling of being star struck. Whatever time I have apart from shooting, I give it to my family and myself. Because it is easy when you become an actor for it to become your identity. You need a daily reminder that you have a life beyond acting.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT SHOOTING?

I stay at home. I don’t even go out. I like spending time at home a lot. One thing I don’t miss is my workout or being around my family.

WHAT GIVES YOU HAPPINESS?

Being around my family gives me the most happiness.

ARE YOU IN A HAPPY SPACE RIGHT NOW?

Of course. As I said, there is sustainable growth that I have been seeing. I think every year, I do different sorts of characters. And every year I see a major change in me as an actor and as a human. So that is what matters to me the most.

YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT

DANCER. ARE WE GOING TO SEE YOU DOING FILMS THAT HAVE DANCING AS A THEME OR CHOREOGRAPHING FOR SOMEONE?

Yes, I love dance, it’s my passion. I am still trying to find the perfect script. Because I honestly feel content is the hero now. I am looking for something that also has good content.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG GIRLS WHO SEEK HAPPINESS AND VALIDATION IN RELATIONSHIPS?

I think you should give yourself that validation. It should come from within before you expect other people to give you that validation. That validation shouldn’t be coming from a partner, if you completely rely on that, you might never be able to find happiness. So happiness is your own responsibility, not anyone else’s. Seek independence and seek validation from within. And not from anyone else.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST RELATIONSHIP LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNT SO FAR?

In Meenakshi Sundareshwar one of the most famous lines was, ‘Communication is the key to healthy relationships.’ We tend to assume a lot of things and choose not to share a lot of our thoughts when we are in a relationship, fearing that we might get judged. So if we share all of that and as much as possible with the person that we are with, we can keep the relationship going and healthy.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A RELATIONSHIP?

Vulnerability, I think. I really like people who are able to be vulnerable around others.

HOW MUCH DOES FINANCIAL SECURITY MEAN TO YOU?

For women, it is extremely crucial to be financially independent. Financial independence gives you a sense of security and confidence. You are treated in a certain way when you are independent. You can do so much with your own money. You can live the passions that you have always dreamed of. I think it is extremely crucial to be financially independent.

ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL PERSON OR A PRACTICAL PERSON?

I am very emotional. Actually, I am both. Where there is a need to be.