Feb 13, 2026 12:45pm IST
Sanya Malhotra On Taking Risks: ‘I Started With Nothing, I Have Nothing To Lose’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Over the course of her career, Sanya Malhotra has built a filmography defined by instinct rather than convention. Her performance in “Mrs.”, the quiet, simmering drama in which she played a housewife navigating the suffocating rhythms of a patriarchal household, was among her most-loved ones. The character struck a chord with audiences and critics alike, earning Sanya widespread acclaim.
As the film completes a year, Sanya speaks to Variety India about choosing risk over comfort, the truths the film forced her to confront, and why she remains drawn to women who resist not with drama, but with quiet, unwavering resolve.
What was the most uncomfortable truth about marriage or womanhood that "Mrs." forced you to confront?
What "Mrs." forced me to confront was how quietly women are taught to disappear, to sacrifice. It happens through everyday expectations that feel normal. And the discomfort comes from recognizing how easily love, care and duty get mistaken for sacrifice. We glorify women for the sacrifices they make instead of asking them what they want to do. It was not something I was forced into, but something I recognized and confronted personally through this journey. It made me reflect on how deeply internalized this conditioning is.
Even for women who think they are independent, it feels normal to say, I will sacrifice my career, I will sacrifice my routine, because I love this person and I will be rewarded. But at the end of the day, I don’t think that that sacrifice is really acknowledged. Somewhere, all of us remain concerned about our own needs.
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Looking back at "Mrs." today, do you think audiences understood it the way you hoped, or did the reaction surprise you?
I think many people understood it emotionally, even if they did not always articulate it the way I expected. I meet people almost every day who say they related to Richa’s story in some way. I hear so many personal anecdotes about their own lives. When that happens after watching a film like "Mrs.", it tells me the film is doing something right. It was not meant to be comforting. It was meant to provoke reflection. To make people think about what is happening in their own homes.
I think the audience understood it in their own ways. I was not surprised, but I was very grateful to see the kind of response the film continues to receive.
You often choose to play women who are quietly resisting rather than loudly rebelling. Is that a conscious political choice or instinctive?
It is instinctive, for sure. But whenever I choose a subject or a character, my values and what I believe in are always present. It is very difficult for me as an artist to keep that aside. I also feel that as an artist, you have a certain responsibility. I am naturally drawn to characters whose strength is internal. Their persistence is subtle. Those stories feel more honest to the world I have observed and lived in. So, the choice is instinctive.
Do you think Indian cinema is ready for female characters who do not need to be likable to be understood?
I think we are slowly getting there. There are so many emotions that women are taught to suppress or not face. Especially in cinema, there has been a certain discomfort around women. I would love to explore characters who are flawed, angry and more complex. I have recently been thinking about how women are conditioned to suppress anger. But suppressed emotions never disappear. They come out in different ways.
It is morally complex but also very human and beautiful, and I would love to explore that as an actor. I do think the audience is ready for that change. We can already see that transition happening in the industry and in how viewers are responding. People want to see complex characters. I hope I get to play a female character who does not need to be liked by everyone.
Has the journey so far changed the way you approach your career and choices?
I think success has given me the confidence to trust my instincts. It has given me the confidence to trust my instinct and I love challenging myself. Honestly, I have nothing to lose, maybe because I started with nothing. As an actor, I am always ready for challenges and ready to push myself out of my comfort zone. I am always ready to make braver choices. I am not afraid of anything.
Even if something goes wrong, I know I will get another chance to prove myself. That will not stop me from taking risks in my career. If there is no risk, then I am not growing or learning something new. So yes, it has given me the confidence to take more risks and trust my instincts.
What is the one role you said yes to but that scared you the most, and why?
"Mrs." is definitely one of them. Even "Pagglait" was one of the films where I was somewhere scared, but the reason was not my performance. The fear came from a completely different place. Some characters force you to sit with many questions about identity, expectations and silences, and I love doing that. I love learning more about women and the conditioning we grow up with. I love exploring the complexities of being a woman through my characters.
So, I never really get scared of any role that I am offered. Other factors sometimes make me wonder whether I should do something or not, but nothing really scares me. I love challenging myself.
You have spoken about wanting to do a full-fledged dance film for years. What is stopping you? How close are you to realizing this dream?
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