Banita Sandhu

Refusing labels and boundaries, Banita Sandhu continues to expand her creative horizons across different cultures to rediscover the roots that anchor her truest self

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From her serendipitous debut in Shoojit Sircar's October to working across Bollywood, Tamil cinema and international projects, Banita Sandhu has led a distinct course in the world of entertainment. What began as an unexpected journey into Indian cinema at 18 has transformed into a profound rediscovery of her truest self and cultural roots. In this candid interview, Sandhu shares about remaining rooted amidst stardom, how her perception of love has changed over time and the collaborative efforts that continue to define her artistic self.

Banita, how has the journey from your debut in October been for you so far?

It has been an incredible journey. I feel so lucky working a job that takes me to places I never thought I could reach and introduces me to people I've always wanted to meet. October, my first film, is so close to my heart. Shoojit sir opened up many doors for me. Filmmakers whom I admire often come up to me and mention October and how they admired my performance. This makes me very happy, particularly since it was my debut film. Your debut film is when you are most vulnerable—it's really when you showcase yourself to the world for the first time.

What aspect of this journey do you cherish the most?

There isn't a specific day, but those little moments on set when I'm collaborating with directors or filmmakers I really love. Regardless of how difficult this profession can be—and it's definitely tough to be an actor— but when you have that one incredible day on set with a director you love, it's all worth it. I am currently experiencing that with a director whom I absolutely love, and for that, I feel very fortunate.