One would imagine that Sanya Malhotra was on top of the world after her Pagglait (2021) won glowing reviews and the audiences’ love last year. Yet, the reality was different. The actor was struggling to give herself due credit. “Of the five-and-a-half years I have worked in Bollywood, I was living with Imposter Syndrome for three years. I believed I didn’t deserve the opportunities coming my way, and that my work wasn’t good. I was harsh on myself,” she recounts. It was only months after Pagglait’s release that Malhotra could channel the validation in a positive way. “Now, when I sit back and reflect on it, I am able to finally give myself my due. Yes, I have worked hard, and I deserve the work I am getting.”

The actor in Kathal