SANYA MALHOTRA POWERHOUSE OF VERSATILITY

The actor lets Maahi Shah in on her female-forward acting choices, growing through the tribulations of the imposter syndrome and the big little things that make her proud to be a woman

- Maahi Shah

Armed in a silk brocade kurta designed by her mother, Renu Malhotra, and a strong belief in the film she was a part of, actor Sanya Malhotra attended a screening of her movie 'Mrs.' at the Indian Film Festival in Melbourne last month. Nothing in her arsenal prepared her for the goosebump-invoking fanfare from an audience marvelled at what they had just watched. Malhotra was met with a standing ovation- a moment that filled her with tears. "When I first watched 'Mrs.' I was quite proud and happy with the final product. It's a film with a very strong message. The Indian Film Festival in Melbourne marked the first time I was watching it with an audience. I was quite nervous to see their reaction. But I was blown away by the response. I was so happy to see how people were connecting with the character and the film," she says, a glint of pride in her eyes. The film, directed by Arati Kadav, is an adaptation of the Malayalam movie 'The Great Indian Kitchen' and follows the complex journey of Richa, a trained dancer and teacher who is compelled to navigate through the challenges of being a wife while still finding her path and voice. 'Mrs.' is a labour of love, yes-but as Malhotra recalls, it shaped up to be an intensely emotional experience to play out the lived experience of millions of women in the country.