POWERHOUSE OF TALENT - SANYA MALHOTRA

A shy child from outside the industry, she moved to Mumbai armed only with the intuition that she was meant to be an actor one day. Delighted with the trajectory of her career, she talks to HELLO! about her close-knit family, where you'll find her when she’s not on set and the fashion trends she’s happily leaving behind goodbye, skinny jeans!)

- JEENA J BILLIMORIA

A talented actress whose Bollywood debut garnered praise for her talent, Sanya Malhotra has never been the type of celebrity hungry for media attention, desperate to be papped while getting a cup of coffee while toting a handbag that costs more than first-class tickets to Antarctica for a family of four; or one who competes to make the day’s headlines for simply appearing on a red carpet. Nope. Sanya is deeper than that. And boy, is it refreshing.

STARRY DREAMS

Born and raised in New Delhi, her upbringing was a rather normal one, she tells us. “I’m a 100% Delhi girl,” she says with apparent pride. “Yes, there were a few hardships, not just for me, but for my family. I was in the first or second grade when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and that was a very major incident for us. I was too young to understand anything, most of it was beyond my comprehension. I could see my family suffering and that left a very big impact on me,” she says, opening up candidly about the past.

Having to witness the scary side of life at a tender age is probably what’s made Sanya so grounded and mature today. “My mother battled like a hero and she’s healthy and well now. I sometimes wish I was older when it had all happened so I could help her in some way,” she shares. And it’s what brought her family even closer. “I feel blessed to have them in my life. My parents have always helped my sister and I to be confident and independent women. Education was very important while growing up, but they’ve always been supportive of our dreams and aspirations,” Sanya tells us.

And speaking of aspirations, Sanya is one of those few people who knew exactly what she wanted to do from a young age, with unwavering determination — act. “Even as a kid, I don’t know how, but I used to only imagine myself doing what I do right now. It’s weird, but I had this very strong intuition that I’d become an actor one day,” she says with a bright smile.