Sanya Malhotra has completed ten years in the film industry. She started her career in 2016 with Dangal, where she played the role of wrestler Babita Kumari alongside Aamir Khan. Even though her role in the film was limited in screen time, it helped her gain attention. Over the years, she has worked in both smaller films and big projects, building a steady career.
Coming from Delhi without any film background, Sanya made her way into the industry on her own. She says one of the most difficult parts of her journey was learning to say no to work that did not feel right to her. “I learnt how to say no over time. Now, I say it quite easily. But it took me some time. Na bolne se pehle mujhe panic attack aa jaata tha,” she tells News18 exclusively.
She also shared that she was worried about losing opportunities if she refused work. “I used to wonder, how do I say no? I would be worried that if I do that, I may not get work after that. And even if I somehow did it, I would carry this guilt for months on end. Apart from me not getting more opportunities, mujhe yeh darr lagta tha ki unko bura lag gaya hoga,” says Sanya.
Over time, she developed a more balanced approach. She believes in being polite but clear while expressing her thoughts. “You need to understand this that a film is a director’s medium. But you, as an actor, can definitely give your suggestions. Sometimes, they listen to you and sometimes, they don’t. But I learnt it the hard way that if I don’t say no, it would mean that I’m only living their dream and doing things their way instead of living my own life,” she remarks.
She also spoke about safety during shoots. “I believe that there’s a way to put your point across. If you do it in the right way, then there’s no problem. If it’s about a stunt, then you’ll really have to put your foot down. You can’t take these things so lightly.”
Her co actor Archana Puran Singh shared an example from the sets of Toaster. She said Sanya refused to perform a scooter scene due to a past accident. “I learnt this facet from Sanya while working with her on the sets of Toaster. She had put her foot down and said that she can’t give a certain shot by riding a scooter. I tried pushing her but then I came to know that she had had a bad experience while riding a scooter earlier. She had met with an accident,” she said.
Archana added that a body double was later used for the scene. “Since she wasn’t confident, she said no because she didn’t want to give a bad shot. That’s when a body double was brought in. I remember speaking to her at that time and lauded her for saying no with so much confidence and self assurance and that’s when she told me that she has learnt this the hard way.”