Fresh FACE in TOWN

SANJANA SANGHI, the new-kid-on-the-block, has already tasted MEGA SUCCESS—her debut project Dil Bechara is one of BOLLYWOOD’S most watched films! Cosmo Editor NANDINI BHALLA speaks to the young actor about her GROWING-UP years, the power of SISTERHOOD, MALE GAZE in CINEMA, and how KIZIE BASU (her character from the film) will stay with her forever.

- NANDINI BHALLA

Sanjana Sanghi seems wise beyond her years. She turned 24 just a few days after this interview and, for the record, is beautifully fresh-faced and spirited. But it’s when you get talking to her that you pick up on a certain self-awareness and poise that’s typically uncharacteristic for a girl in her early 20s.

Sanjana laughs when I express my observation. It’s something she has heard before. “People always say that about me!” she declares. “Anyone who meets me for the first time passes that remark, and all my best friends and family have always felt that I’m wiser than my years, even when I was a little girl. It’s possible that I’m an old soul... If I had it my way, I wouldn’t even be using a smartphone!”

But even for the most discerning young adult, it would not be an exaggeration to state that the last few months have been tempestuous. Dil Bechara—Sanjana’s big, Bollywood debut—released on July 24th, and quickly shattered more than just a few records. The ‘rom-tragedy’ (an adaptation of John Green’s best-selling novel, The Fault In Our Stars) is said to have amassed over 95 million views in the first 24 hours of its release, making it an indubitable success.

The film, for those who aren’t a part of the aforementioned millions, is centred around extraordinary love, courage, life...and death.

The film is also late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s swan song, released a few weeks after the actor passed away at his Mumbai home...and was followed by a volcano of public grief, controversies, and impassioned media trials.