Sanya Malhotra on Netflix Film Pagglait I Used to Write a Lot to Prep Up for My Role of Sandhya

Sanya Malhotra is having a moment and honestly its been a long time coming.

The actress opened up about her preparation for Pagglait where she plays Sandhya a young widow navigating grief societal expectations and her own identity all at once. Its a complex role and Sanya brought something really special to it.

“I used to write a lot to prep up for my role” she told interviewers. “Writing helped me understand Sandhyas thought process her fears her small rebellions against a society that expected her to perform grief in a very specific way.”

The film which dropped on Netflix in March 2021 takes a darkly comedic look at Indian mourning rituals and the absurdity of performative grief. Sandhyas husband dies and suddenly shes expected to act a certain way dress a certain way feel a certain way. Except she barely knew the guy and cant summon the emotions everyone expects.

What makes Pagglait work is how it balances genuine emotional beats with sharp social commentary. Director Umesh Bist doesnt let the film become a lecture but the observations about how women are treated after loss hit hard.

Sanya has been carving out an interesting niche for herself in Bollywood. After breaking out in Dangal she could have easily gone the typical route of big budget masala films. Instead shes consistently chosen projects that let her actually act.

Netflix India has been quietly building an impressive slate of films that wouldnt necessarily get theatrical releases but find their audience on streaming. Pagglait fits perfectly into that model.

The supporting cast including Ashutosh Rana and Sheeba Chaddha nail their roles as the dysfunctional family members more concerned with inheritance and appearances than actual grief. Sayani Gupta has a small but memorable role too.

If you havent seen Pagglait yet add it to your list. Its not quite like anything else coming out of Indian cinema right now and Sanya absolutely carries it.