Sanya Malhotra made her debut with the 2016 release Dangal and impressed one and all with her performance in it. In these five years, she has done a variety of roles in movies like Pataakha, Badhaai Ho, Photograph, Shakuntala Devi, Ludo, and Pagglait.
The actress will next be seen in Netflix’s film Meenakshi Sundareshwar. Recently, while talking to PTI about the film, Malhotra said, "It was love at first sight for me. When I first heard the script, I could relate to it. It is a universal and a very relatable story. The character also spoke to me on a lot of levels. And the fact that as an audience, I was craving to watch a simple love story, that was also something that I got attracted to the character and the script.”
Malhotra plays the role of Meenakshi in it and Abhimanyu Dassani will be seen portraying the role of Sundareshwar.
The actress said, "I love the fact that she loves Sundar for the way he is. She doesn't want him to change. They are two opposite people, who are ready to grow together and don't want both of them to change even a bit for each other."
When the trailer of the film was released, people thought that the movie might stereotype South Indians. But, Malhotra said, "Our direction was clear, Vivek did that very well to ensure that it (stereotyping) doesn't happen. It is a Bollywood film with extremely well written characters and scripts. As an actor, I didn't need anything else apart from the reading material that I had when I was prepping for the character.”
"There is a Rajinikanth dialogue that I speak in the film, so for that, I did a lot of homework. It wasn't on my mind that I don't want to offend anyone, I simply wanted to perform it well," she added.
While talking about her journey in the industry, Malhotra said, "I'm much more comfortable and confident in myself now. After five years, I can say that (because) for a few years at the beginning I was quite confused, I'd think 'What is happening? How do I do this?'. But now I am much more comfortable being myself. That's a great journey.”
"I'm confident with the kind of films that I'm doing, the kind of characters that I'm playing, and whatever is happening in my professional life. I'm quite happy. It is a nice comfort zone that I have achieved. I hope I am able to sustain it," the actress added.
Meenakshi Sundareshwar will premiere on Netflix on 5th November 2021.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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