That happy feeling...

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

- Suman Sharma

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?