Sanya Malhotra(born 25 February 1992) is an Indian actress who works inHindi films.She has had supporting roles in the sports filmDangal(2016) and the action filmJawan(2023), both of which rank among thehighest-grossing Indian films.Her other commercially successful films were the comedyBadhaai Ho(2018) and the biopicSam Bahadur(2023).
Sanya Malhotra | |
|---|---|
 Malhotra in 2022 | |
| Born | 25 February 1992 Delhi,India |
| Alma mater | Gargi College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Malhotra received nominations for theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actressfor her leading roles in the dramaPhotograph(2019) and the black comedyLudo(2020). She also received praise for starring in the streaming filmsShakuntala Devi(2020),Pagglait(2021),Love Hostel(2022),Kathal(2023) andMrs.(2024), winning aFilmfare OTT AwardforKathal.
Early life
editMalhotra was born on 25 February 1992 inDelhiinto aPunjabi Hindufamily.[1][2]She is a trained dancer in contemporary and ballet.[3]After graduating fromGargi College,[4]Malhotra participated in the dance reality showDance India Danceand made it to the top 100.[5]She moved to Mumbai, where she began appearing in auditions and began assisting camerapersons for television commercials.[6]She was later contacted by the film casting directorMukesh Chhabra.[5]
Career
editEarly work and recognition (2016–2019)
editMalhotra was selected forNitesh Tiwari's biographical sports filmDangalalong withFatima Sana Shaikh,who was also relatively new.[3]Before the film, she said that she did not know much about wrestling. She then watched several videos on wrestling and "how wrestlers move, walk, their body language" and also did the training.[3]Both Malhotra and Sheikh went through five rounds of auditions, physical training and workshops with Tiwari andAamir Khan.[6]They were trained by coach and former wrestlerKripa Shankar Patel Bishnoi.[6]Released in 2016,Dangalreceived critical acclaim and became thehighest-grossing Indian film everwith earnings of more than₹2,000 crore(US$230 million) worldwide.[7]Anupama Choprasaid in her review that Malhotra provides "strong support" to the story.[8]Malhotra later choreographed the song "Sexy Baliye" for theSecret Superstar(2017), which featured Khan.[9]
Two years later, Malhotra starred inVishal Bhardwaj's dramaPataakha(2018) alongside newcomerRadhika Madan.[10]Based on the short storyDo Behnenby Charan Singh Pathik, it tells the story of two warring sisters inRajasthan.[11]The story was based on the wives of Pathik's brothers.[11]To prepare for the film, both she and Madan met the real inspiration behind the characters to learn their nuances.[11]The two stayed in Ronsi village nearJaipurand learned theRajasthanidialect; they also got accustomed to milking buffaloes, thatching roofs, plastering the walls with dung and walking for long distances while balancingmatkasfull of water on their head and another around their waist.[12]They also had to put on 10 kg of weight.[13]CriticRaja Senfound Malhotra to be a "fearless actress" and thought that she "plays this character with unhinged enthusiasm".[14]In the same year, she took on a supporting role inAmit Sharma's critically and commercially successful comedyBadhaai Ho,starringAyushmann Khurrana.[15]
In 2019, Malhotra starred inRitesh Batra'sPhotograph.The film follows a street photographer Rafi, played byNawazuddin Siddiqui,who tries to convince a student Miloni (Malhotra) to pose as his fiancée so that his grandmother stops pressuring him to get married. It was screened at the 2019Sundance Film Festivaland at the69th Berlin International Film Festival.[16]The Hollywood Reporterfeatured her in their listing of "breakout talent" from the latter festival.[17]Rahul Desai ofFilm CompaniongavePhotographa positive review and wrote that Malhotra "becomes the dreamy-eyed participant that enables the film to embrace its quiet glances and gentle flights of fantasy."[18]Malhotra was nominated for theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actressfor the film.[19][20]
Streaming films and beyond (2020–present)
editMalhotra's two films of 2020—the biographical filmShakuntala Deviand the black comedyLudo—were initially planned for theatrical release. However, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in India,they were released directly onAmazon Prime VideoandNetflixrespectively.Shakuntala Devi,directed byAnu Menon,is about themathematician of the same nameand starredVidya Balanin the titular role, with Malhotra portraying Devi's daughter Anupama.[21]Mike McCahill ofThe Guardianfound Malhotra to be "quietly affecting" in her part and commended her for holding her own opposite her co-star.[22]Anurag Basu's anthology film,Ludo,featured her alongside an ensemble cast.[23]India Today's Nairita Mukherjee took note of the "outstanding camaraderie" between Malhotra and her co-starAditya Roy Kapur.[24]For her performance inLudo,she received another nomination for the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.[25]
Malhotra's first two films of 2021 were released onNetflix.In the black comedyPagglait,she starred as a young widow who discovers her late-husband's infidelity. CriticAnna M. M. Vetticadfound her to be aptly cast in a subtle part.[26]She received a Best Actress nomination at theFilmfare OTT Awards.[27]Malhotra then starred alongsideAbhimanyu Dassanias newlyweds in the romantic comedyMeenakshi Sundareshwar.[28]The film received criticism for its stereotypical representation ofTamil people.[29]In 2022, she starred in theZEE5filmLove Hostel,a thriller abouthonour killing,oppositeVikrant Massey.[30]Sukanya VermaofRediff.comwrote that both Massey and Malhotra "effortlessly convey the flavour of the world they inhabit".[31]Malhotra had a small role oppositeRajkummar Raoin the thrillerHIT: The First Case,a remake of theTelugu filmof thesame name.Reviewers forThe Times of IndiaandNews 18bemoaned her lack of screen time.[32][33]
In 2023, Malhotra had a starring role as a small-town cop in pursuit of a missingjackfruitin the Netflix satirical filmKathal.[34]Hindustan Times'sMonika Rawal Kukreja was appreciative of her comic timing.[35]Her performance earned her a Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actor in a Web Original Film (Female).[36]She next had a supporting role as a doctor inJawan,an action film starringShah Rukh Khan.[37]It ranks as one of Indian cinema's biggest grossers.[38]In her final release of the year, she played the wife ofSam Maneckshawin the biopicSam Bahadur,starringVicky Kaushalin the title role.[39]Anuj Kumar ofThe Hindureviewed, "Malhotra as his lovely, supportive wife Siloo proves equal to Vicky’s charm".[40]It was a modest commercial success.[41]
The dramaMrs.,a Hindi remake of theMalayalamfilmThe Great Indian Kitchen,starring Malhotra as a newlywed dealing with regressive patriarchal traditions, premiered at the 2024Indian Film Festival of Melbourne,and released onZEE5in 2025.[42][43]Sukanya Verma commended her for matching up toNimisha Sajayan's performance in the original.[44]
In the media
editTanisha Bhattacharya ofFilmfarenoted, "Malhotra has made a career out of seeking content-centric films. She has wowed the audience with her natural performance."[45]Shilpa Dubey ofFeminastated, "Contradicting the cookie-cutter style big-screen debuts, her onset in Bollywood was a refreshing game-changer in Dangal."[46]Malhotra ranked 3rd inRediff.com's "The 10 Best Actresses" list of 2021.[47]She is an endorser for several brands and products includingFastrackandShoppers Stop.[48][49]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Films
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dangal | Babita Kumari | [50] | |
| 2017 | Secret Superstar | — | Choreographer for song "Sexy Baliye" | [51] |
| 2018 | Pataakha | Genda / Chhutki | [52] | |
| Badhaai Ho | Renee Sharma | [53] | ||
| 2019 | Photograph | Miloni Shah | [54] | |
| 2020 | Shakuntala Devi | Anupama Banerjee | [55] | |
| Ludo | Shruti Choksi | [56] | ||
| 2021 | Pagglait | Sandhya | [57] | |
| Meenakshi Sundareshwar | G. Meenakshi | [58] | ||
| 2022 | Love Hostel | Jyoti Dilawar | [59] | |
| HIT: The First Case | Neha Mahta | [60] | ||
| 2023 | Kathal | Mahima Basor | [61] | |
| Jawan | Dr. Eeram | [62] | ||
| Sam Bahadur | Silloo Manekshaw | [39] | ||
| 2024 | Mrs. | Richa Sharma | [63] | |
| Baby John | Satya's prospective bride | Special appearance | [64] | |
| 2025 | Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari† | TBA | Filming | [65] |
| Thug Life† | TBA | Tamilfilm; filming | [66] | |
| Anurag Kashyap’s untitled next† | TBA | Filming | [67] | |
| Toaster† | TBA | TBA | [68] |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Singer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | "Aankh" | Sunidhi Chauhan | [69] |
Accolades
edit| Year | Awards | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jackie Chan Action Movie Awards | Best New Action Performer | Dangal | Won | [70] |
| 2019 | Screen Awards | Best Actress (Critics) | Pataakha | Nominated | [71] |
| 2020 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress (Critics) | Photograph | Nominated | [72] |
| 2021 | Ludo | Nominated | [73] | ||
| Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actress in a Web Original Film | Pagglait | Nominated | [27] | |
| 2022 | International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [74] | |
| Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actor in a Web Original Film (Female) | Meenakshi Sundareshwar | Nominated | [75] | |
| Love Hostel | Nominated | ||||
| 2023 | 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actress in a Film: Critics | Kathal | Won | [36] |
| Best Actress (Web Original Film) | Nominated | ||||
| 2024 | Iconic Gold Awards | Best Actress of the Year - Critics Choice | Won | [76] | |
| 2024 | New York Indian Film Festival | Best Actress of the Year | Mrs. | Won | [77] |
References
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External links
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