Dreams are the most precious things that we own!
But sometimes because of society, we stop believing in our own dreams. If you are one of those, who believe in their dreams but sometimes tend to doubt them, then you will definitely find Sanya Malhotra’s struggle quite inspiring.
While talking about her dream, she mentioned:
I was that kid who danced at every wedding. I didn’t need any kind of incentive–just music! My parents would take me to all the family weddings, because they knew I’d dance my heart out. I loved it so much! I even danced in competitions & when I got to college I was a part of the Choreography Society. We’d spend 8 hours dancing every day! I was so passionate–but my real dream was to act.
How she hid her dream from everyone for the fear of being ridiculed
I never revealed this to anyone back home. I thought I’d be laughed at or ridiculed. After all, it’s a big dream. But I thought maybe, I could get to acting through dancing! So I applied for Dance India Dance & got to the top 100. But I got rejected because my backstory wasn’t strong. That’s when I thought maybe I wasn’t meant to perform at all.
But, she never let rejection kill her dream
That show may have rejected me, but it’s what got me to Bombay. I owed it to myself to at least try. So I told my dad about acting. To my surprise, he was supportive! So I began auditioning.
The journey to fulfill one’s dream is never easy. And, her’s wasn’t any exception.
She shared how there were days when she thought of backing out! Seeing her six other roommates going to work every day demotivated her!
But it was hard–I lived with 6 roommates & there were days when they’d all go out to work & I’d be sitting at home. It was demotivating & I often felt like leaving.
But, she made sure to not give up and landed Dangal.
But I reminded myself of my dream to perform. Slowly, I learnt the ropes of the business, got in touch with casting directors & acted in ads. There were still months when I didn’t get a call back, & I worried about my dwindling bank balance. But I kept going & ended up doing 10 ads in a year! I built my self-esteem & promised to never doubt myself.
Eventually, I got my first audition–Dangal! I remember, I was against 30 other girls, but I just knew I’d be selected. Someone was taking a BTS video & I remember telling her, ‘I’m pakka in this film!’ I was that confident! And I got the role.
I’ll never forget that feeling that everything had finally been worth it. I’d loved performing ever since I was a kid & now here I was–on the big screen. Ever since, I’ve relished every single role I’ve done.
Her story of pursuing her dreams and not giving up because of doubts and insecurities is proof that ‘dangal ladne se pehle dar se ladna padhta hai‘.
While I don’t doubt myself anymore, I know I’m still learning. Nobody’s perfect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try! This is just the beginning, there’s much more to do. But I’ve got my dancing shoes & boxing gloves on–I’m ready
Recently, Sanya Malhotra once again spoke about the rejection that changed her course of life forever. Spilling the beans at a dance reality show, she mentioned:
“Six years back, I had come to this studio for a dance-reality show audition and I did not clear it. And I remember, it was 1 a.m. in the night when I got free and I called my friend and said that I have not been able to get through and to come and pick me up. And you were there, Dharmesh sir. I was not able to clear it because of you. But now, I am here to promote my film.”
Applauding her determination and courage, Dharmesh, judge of the show, was awestruck. He responded,
“I think when you must have left from here that day, you would have left with a lot of courage and determination that ‘Mujhe ab karke dikhana hai’.”
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Sanya’s inspiring story is a great lesson to believe in ourselves when no one does. We wish Sanya a successful future and hope her story will keep inspiring many to not give up!
