Sanjana Sanghi: I fear not being able to discover myself fully as an artiste

The journey from being a child actor to leading a film in Bollywood has been a long one for Sanjana Sanghi. And the actor admits that it comes with pressure and several responsibilities.

“I’m so new and there is so much for me to discover about myself as an actor. The responsibility to be a leading actor is so different compared to when I was a child actor,” the Dil Bechara (2020) actor continues, “I couldn’t have ever imagined that I could be a leading action girl. So, I’m in that place right now where I have impatience.”

The 25-year-old, who was recently seen in a romantic short film, Uljhe Hue, written by Imtiaz Ali’s daughter Ida Ali, adds, “I’m at that place where there is a fear of not being able to discover myself fully as an artist that pushes me to take on challenges is scaring me. Like after Om, the projects which I am doing are so different from each other.”

However, the fear comes from a positive space. “When I was in Delhi University, I wanted to be in every society, go for every trip, because I wanted to live my college life [to the fullest]. That is the context of the fear which I am talking about,” says the actor, who was also seen in Rockstar.

The transition from child actor to leading actor is a huge step for her. Talking about the journey in the industry so far, she tells us, “I am glad that it happened that way. I have been on endless advertising sets through my life growing up, done small parts in films and stage shows, and today, all of those experiences are getting me through these incredible opportunities, and helping me do justice to them.”

She goes on to confess that she did get “overwhelmed a little” last year “because of immense love, kindness and adulation”.“Becoming a star all of a sudden is a very new experience. Nothing prepares you for it. So, it was a challenging time to kind of just not feel normal. And playing my role in my next project helped me get that,” Sanghi reveals.

Now, she is open to every challenge that comes her way. “I’m only looking forward to my directors and my producers having faith in me, when I hear that she can do it, that’s what helps me sleep at night as an actor. I’m looking forward to shattering my own boundaries that I have in my own head,” she says, something which she did with Uljhe Hue which puts spotlight on modern love.

“It was a creative high for me because Ida directed me as an adult and as an actor,” she wraps up.