Sanya Malhotra is a powerhouse talent who has always made an impact through her performance and screen presence.
Her curly hair, cheerful personality and sharp humour make her an amiable individual.
After playing a real-life character in debut film Dangal, she is set to portray another non-fictional role in Shakuntala Devi, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video.
In the film, she plays the pivotal role of Anupama Banerji, daughter of Shakuntala Devi.
Sanya shares her experience of stepping into Anupama’s shoes for the movie:
“It’s always nerve-wracking to play a real-life character. It is easier to play a fictional character as you can develop your back story and prepare as you want to.
But for my character, I think the script is majorly helped me to know her well. So my director Anu (Menon) knows Anupama really well, I had material on Shakuntala Devi and access to videos.
I didn’t meet Anu before the shoot, I met her on set, so I had to develop a backstory of my own, like how she might’ve felt around a lady who is a mathematical genius.
So I did that. For this one, I think the look and makeup really helped me to get into the skin of the character.”
As such, it is fascinating to witness two powerhouse talents like Sanya and Vidya unite to exhibit a dynamic mother-daughter relationship.
So how was her experience of working with Vidya?
“To be honest, I was very nervous. I’m a huge Vidya Balan fan and to be working with her was quite nerve-wracking (laughs).
I was quite nervous before the shoot but she has this wonderful energy around her. She’s always smiling, cracking jokes and playing pranks on set.
It’s so much fun when you’re doing a scene and working with her,” Sanya tells Filme Shilmy.
Known for taking the road less travelled, Sanya Malhotra has always opted for challenging subjects and interesting characters, be it Dangal, Pataakha or Badhaai Ho.
Her current, successful streak in the industry:
“I am in a happy space and I’m very glad that I get the opportunity to work with such amazing directors and learning so much about acting/filmmaking.
I’m quite lucky and I think I am grateful for it. I think it’s because of my first film Dangal – it’s one of the biggest reasons why I am getting these opportunities.”
Shakuntala Devi – Human Computer streams on Amazon Prime Video from 31st July.
Listen to our podcast with Sanya Malhotra here:Â
