"In Bollywood, You’ll See One Person Running After Another For Love, But it Actually Resides Inside You": Sanya Malhotra

Sanya Malhotra is single and loving it. It's not often you hear an actor speak about their relationship status with such candour, but if there is one quality that the 29-year-old embodies, it is of quiet confidence. From embracing—and styling—her gorgeous curls to settling down with 'the one', read on to appreciate how Sanya is welcoming a new phase of her life.

Brides Today: What, according to you, is the biggest myth we are told about love?

Sanya Malhotra: “That self-love isn’t as important. Especially in Bollywood, where you’ll see one person running after another person for love, but it actually resides inside you. Such ideas teach you to constantly look for other people’s validation or for somebody else to come and fill you with love, but you end up forgetting that it’s always been there within you.”

BT: So what are the qualities that you would look for in a partner?

SM: "Good communication. I want a man who’s a feminist, someone I can admire and grow with, mentally and spiritually. He should be ambitious and humorous. That’s really important because I have a really bad sense of humour, so my partner should be funny to balance it out."

BT: Are you looking to settle down anytime soon?

SM: "No, I do not have the time for a relationship right now. And I’m enjoying that, to be honest. I’m working hard and I’m glad that I’m single, otherwise it would be very difficult for me to divide my time between work and personal life. Right now, I’m enjoying what I’m doing professionally."

BT: When you do get married, what would you like to wear?

SM: "Pyjamas! (Laughs) I’ve gotten married so many times on-screen, that I’m done with dressing up! And especially for Meenakshi Sundareshwar, we filmed all the rituals, so I got dressed for the mehendi and the wedding ceremony in full regalia."

BT: When you attend other people’s weddings, what is your favourite outfit to wear?

SM: "A sari or a lehenga. I wore two yellow lehengas this month, one for Diwali and another for my best friend’s wedding in Delhi, recently. And I even wore a yellow lehenga for the promotions of my Netflix film. I love the colour mustard; I think it really suits me. I like most colours, but I don’t think pink or cool undertones work for me. In the summer, I usually wear chiffon and in the winter, brocade. And I style it with a choker and minimal earrings."

BT: And how do you look after your curls?

SM: "It’s quite complicated, it’s not easy to maintain curly hair. I use a leave-in conditioner, and then seal it with a strong-hold gel. Then, I diffuse my curls and let them be; I don’t touch them at all because they can get very frizzy. I also apply a protein mask once a week. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to style my curls at all. I remember, in school, I tried many products and hair tools to tame my frizzy hair. Then I came across something called The Curly Girl Method on YouTube, where this girl was styling her curly hair, and it changed my life. In this, you have to use zero-sulfate products, but I would suggest using a bit of sulphate once or twice a week to get the gunk out of your mane. I’m just pleased that all my directors like my curly hair so I don’t have to do too much to it when getting into character. I love my curls!"

BT: You also have wonderful skin...

SM: "Yes I do, knock on wood. But I had cystic acne when I was working on my first film Dangal (2016), and while you can see it in the film too, it worked for the character I was playing, a 16-year-old. I wasn’t too worried about going in front of the camera with a face full of cystic acne. I don’t really care about that."