Sanjana Sanghi says she likes unusual roles; thanks Ranbir Kapoor and Imtiaz Ali for introducing her to the world of cinema

Sanjana Sanghi, who made her film debut at the age of 13 with Rockstar, recalls growing up as a Bollywood fanatic and a connoisseur of rom-coms. The actor, who was lauded for her acting in Dil Bechara, is currently juggling between different roles and genres, for which she is very thankful.

In an interview with indianexpress.com, Sanghi recalled the time she fell in love with filmmaking. She said, “When I was 13-years-old, I starred as Mandy in Rockstar and Ranbir will always be the first ever actor I stepped on a film set with. Ranbir used to hold my hand through the film sets and that’s what made me fall in love with filmmaking. He and Imtiaz Ali told me that I should never leave acting and pushed me further and told my mum about it.”

The 25-year-old actor was recently seen in action thriller Rashtra Kavach Om, opposite Aditya Roy Kapur. Talking about the choices she has been making lately, she said, “If I say anything other than instinct, I’d be lying. Growing up, every actor I used to look up to would say that they want to do parts which surprise them first and then they surprise the audience. Dil Bechara was a romantic tragedy, Om was an action thriller and Dhak Dhak is an adventure drama. They are all so different. I am just going with what I connect with and what is coming to me.”

Her mantra as an actor is very simple. “The genre I like to watch as an audience automatically becomes the genre I get attracted to as an actor,” she said, stating that she likes rom-coms. She would like to experiment and do comedy movies, but for now her preference would be rom-coms and action movies.

Talking about prepping for different roles and characters, she said, “Prepping for Kavya, I watched a lot of action films because my dad used to make me watch Jackie Chan films while I was growing up. I have been a child of the theater and improvisations are what we grew up on. Also, I am very particular about my preparations. I am so hard on myself that I really go all the way.”

Sanjana Sanghi says that she is very much satisfied and grateful for the line-up of films she has in front of her. “I am also grateful that filmmakers are able to see me in so many lights. And I think that the only reason why that happens is because I can stay as true to the craft as possible. I am excited about the line-up I have in front of me,” she said.

The Dil Bechara actor is currently shooting for adventure movie Dhak Dhak. Addressing speculations around the film being similar to Jee Lee Zara, she said, “I think we are only similar because a women ensemble is a rare thing and the fact that both the movies are set in the backdrop of travel. But, the films are very distinct.”

Dhak Dhak, which is produced by Taapsee Pannu, stars Fatima Sana Sheikh, Ratna Pathak, Dia Mirza and Sanjana Sanghi in the lead roles.