Sanya Malhotra: I recorded the show in front of my family
Broach the topic of sex in the family or among a large group of friends, and chances are someone will hurriedly steer the conversation to another subject. A section of the Indian population even today shies away from discussing the three-letter word. This, despite films trying to initiate a dialogue about it — be it by highlighting the importance of consent in sexual relationships or talking about safe sex. Now, Sanya Malhotra is set to give it a go with Sasural Wonder Phool. “I have always been comfortable talking about sex. In fact, I recorded this show in front of my family,” begins the actor, who is making her audio debut with the Audible show.
Unlike her previous projects where she played outgoing and confident characters — a prime example being her latest release, Meenakshi Sundareshwar — Sasural Wonder Phool showcases Malhotra as a conservative character. It’s an unsettling but learning experience for her character when she is married into a family that runs a sex clinic. “My role is a reflection of certain sections of society. She is prudish, shy, and doesn’t want to talk about sex. [In contrast, the family she has married into] is progressive and comfortable talking about sexual illnesses. That is a culture shock for her, like is the case for a lot of people in our society. I’m hoping that the show helps them out.”
Cinema is believed to have the power to transform a society’s ideas and its ways. After all, several films, including Vicky Donor (2012), Badhaai Ho (2018) and Khandaani Shafakhana (2019) have tackled urgent topics — from sperm donation to elderly romance, thus bringing the ‘uncomfortable’ topics into our living room. But does an audio show, in its nascent stages, have the same transformative power?
“Regardless of the medium, [such endeavours] are influencing people. The reason creators are writing such shows is because there is a demand. I truly believe that art has the capacity to influence audiences, help them get out of their bubbles and embrace such topics,” says Malhotra. She notes that most of these subjects have been laced with humour. “Humour makes uncomfortable topics comfortable. After Badhaai Ho, so many people told us about similar experiences. There is so much drama and sadness [in our lives], but we can find something funny out of it too.
Humour makes it [relatable].”
The actor hopes that Sasural Wonder Phool, which also has Varun Sharma as part of the voice cast, will be adapted into a movie some day. But the process of recording her first audio show was not exactly a cakewalk. “[Initially, I had inhibitions] about the technical aspect. It’s similar to acting in front of the camera, only here you have to do it in front of the mic. Last year, Audibles sent me all the gadgets to record this series. I sound-proofed my sister’s room and turned it into a studio for eight days. There was no training; all the voice artistes and our director [Siddhanta Pinto] used to be on a Zoom call with us, directing us on how he wanted a scene to sound. It was refreshing to be performing in front of the mic.”
Sanya, who is making her debut with an audio series, hopes Sasural Wonder Phool will remove the stigma around sex