Why Banita Sandhu took it slow post her debut Hindi film October

Banita Sandhu marked her debut in the Hindi film industry with October (2018) opposite Varun Dhawan. Three years later, her second film, Sardar Udham, released. She tells us that she took it slow post her first film as she wanted to concentrate on her mental health and finish her education.

“I had to go back to London and finish my degree and graduate. I’ve been pretty open that my mental health was in a very bad space during that time. Without your health, you’re nothing. So, I took a year off to get better and be back on track so that I could start doing good work again,” Sandhu shares.

October, which was her first film collaboration with filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, won her wide acclaim and even though, she wasn’t seen in any other Hindi film in the next few years, her performance remains etched in the minds of film lovers. Talking about how the film went on to become “a cultural icon”, she says, “I’m aware of what October has become today thanks to social media. I receive messages about it even now. I didn’t realise that it would achieve a cult status.”

Despite a limited screen time, Sandhu has been receiving rave reviews for her portrayal of a mute girl who lets her eyes do all the talking in her latest release: “It’s something that comes naturally to me. You can’t plan your expressions before a scene. Shoojit sir puts his actors in a very safe space where we can play and the cameras will just be there to catch those moments.”

Quiz her about working with Sircar again and the 24-year-old says, “It feels like I come back home when I work with him. We’ve worked together so many times now and we feel like he has been with me since the beginning of my career. He’s my mentor and life guide.”