After making a great start with a film like Dangal, when the OTT space opened up, she dived in and made the most of it with back-to-back projects. In the last two years, Sanya Malhotra has had five releases on OTT platforms, which featured her in author-backed roles.
She says, “As an artiste, it doesn’t bother me where a film releases, as long as it reaches people. It would matter to me if I was a producer. For an actor, when a film drops on OTT, it takes a lot of pressure off you. Frankly, I don’t know how pressure and art can really function together. The last three years have changed the dynamics of the industry so much. There is such varied and so much work for the actors. Yes, bade parde pe film dekhna aur apni film wahan release hona is a dream that I won’t let go of. It has its own charm.”
Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra starrer 'Photograph' to...
Sanya is among those few actors who have had films releasing at regular intervals throughout the pandemic, including movies like Pagglait and Meenakshi Sundareshwar. Bring it up, and she says, “Personally and professionally, I think 2021 was great, and I have nothing to complain about.
rofessionally, I would also include 2020 in this. The characters I played were good for my career. They got a love of love and a heartwarming response, which was very encouraging. They were two fantastic years for my career, but I don’t think any of us ever got off the emotional roller-coaster ride that we have been on since what feels like forever. The last year just flew by. I just hope 2022 is as good workwise. I hope more films go to theatres, and hopefully, we can all tackle the pandemic together while taking care of ourselves.”
Among her upcoming projects is Sam Bahadur, Meghna Gulzar’s biopic on Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw, which features Vicky Kaushal in the title role and also has Sanya sharing screen space with her Dangal co-star Fatima Sana Shaikh. She plays Maneckshaw’s wife, Siloo, in the movie. “A story like Sam Bahadur does not land on your table every day. I am really looking forward to playing Siloo. This is my third collaboration with Fatima after Dangal and Ludo. It’s so good to do a film with her. We had started our journeys together and I love how well she has carved her space. At the same time, I am happy and grateful for what I have on my table,” she signs off.
