Even with a demanding shooting schedule and constant public attention, Sanya Malhotra has built a lifestyle rooted in mindfulness, fitness, and creativity. From slow, centring mornings that include meditation and breath work to regular workouts that keep her active, the actor focuses on maintaining both energy and mental clarity.
Beyond films, Sanya has ventured into entrepreneurship with her own matcha brand, Bree Matcha, combining wellness with passion, proving that self-care and ambition can go hand in hand.
In our conversation via mail and voice notes, the actor spoke about what’s brewing in her life, the food she loves, and what keeps her grounded, among other things.
Here is the edited excerpt:
Q. What do your mornings usually look like? Is there any go-to routine, practice, or ritual
that you follow?
Sanya Malhotra: My mornings have a slow start. Something I do almost every day is meditation or some form of breathwork. On most days, I wake up, get ready, and just sit in silence for a little bit, centring myself before I go do what I am supposed to do for the day.
Q. Punjabis are tagged as big-time foodies. Are you also one? Which is your favourite Punjabi dish?
Sanya Malhotra: I love eating, but I don’t know if I can consider myself a foodie. If you ask me what your favourite dish is or which restaurant to go to, I might not be able to help you.
I remember that sometimes we’d come home from a wedding, and my mother would say their food was okay-ish. And I was like ? Because I thought that the food was good enough. I am not able to ever judge , I just like eating. And my favourite Punjabi dish has to be rajma chawal.
Q. Amidst a hectic schedule and juggling between demanding roles, how do you manage to stay fit? Do you follow any particular workout regimen?
Sanya Malhotra: Yes, I work out. I am very active and tend to work out 5-6 times a week. If I’m not working out, I try to walk as much as I can, and I mostly eat .
I eat everything because I believe that food is fuel. People think too much about food, but not me. I eat everything. I don’t follow cheat days or cheat meals. I eat whatever I feel like eating and what my body needs. So, there are no dietary restrictions.
But overall, I am very active and love fitness, working out, and walking.
Q. You also cut out on caffeine, right? How difficult was it for someone like you, who loves tea and coffee, to quit caffeine?
Sanya Malhotra: I haven’t quit caffeine. . But that said, matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that provides sustained energy. There are no spikes, and as a result, you don’t feel anxious or jittery after having a cup of matcha.
I have switched to matcha, but I have not stopped having caffeine. I love matcha for all its amazing health benefits and everything it offers.
Q. Be honest. What was your first reaction after having matcha? Did you like it instantly, or did it take some time to acquire that taste?
Sanya Malhotra: I loved, loved matcha, and I loved how I felt after having it. I started drinking matcha because coffee wasn’t working for me, but I loved the morning ritual of making a cup. A friend then recommended matcha to me, and I remember having the first cup, and it was so relaxing.
I did my research after that and saw the amazing benefits that matcha offers; that’s when I fell in love with it. After my first cup of matcha, I started experimenting with many recipes. It was way before Bree happened that I had the idea of having my own matcha brand.
I made everyone in my family and friend circle try matcha, and I succeeded in converting almost everyone into matcha drinkers. They loved the recipes in my matcha kit, and it was just amazing.
You were expecting a different answer, I can see, but I loved matcha from day one.
Q. You are loved immensely for your roles, and now your matcha brand has created a buzz. How has your entrepreneurial journey been? Is it totally different from the film industry?
Sanya Malhotra: As an entrepreneur, I take most of Bree Matcha’s creative decisions. It’s pretty similar, but there’s so much I have been learning, and I feel really grateful to have Essenza as a partner. I have Siddharth and Dr Kunal to teach me so much about the business aspect of it.
I studied Economics in college, so I love this side of my career as well. I also love making these creative decisions (for the brand). When we launched Bree Matcha, we made a film introducing Sanya Malhotra, with Manya Salhotra. I loved creating it with our team. There are so many ideas in my brain that I’d love to keep exploring with our brand. And also create a community around Bree Matcha.
Q. What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself after stepping into the world of business?
Sanya Malhotra: How much I love working and how much I love matcha and how much I love doing what I love (laughs). Whether I’m an entrepreneur or an actor, I’m very . If I am really passionate about something, I put a lot of heart and soul into it.
Q. Sanya, you are almost always under the public eye and shuttering cameras. Do you miss the luxury of being able to roam freely without having to think of a camera that might be following? How do you manage to reconnect with yourself?
Sanya Malhotra: To be honest, I love this part of my job. I feel really grateful to have this platform for the love that I receive. The cameras, the people that I meet every day, the selfies that I click with them, and the autographs that I get to sign. This is a dream life that I manifested, so I don’t miss anything about not being an actor.
I can always reconnect because when I am at home, I am not an actor. There are so many times that I even forget that I am a professional actor because I have a very full life. I treat it as a job for sure when I am working, but when I am at home, I don’t get my work done at home. I am not always an actor when I am around my family and my friends. So, that is something that keeps me grounded and helps me reconnect with myself as well.
Q. You were a resident, and now work has taken you to . Let’s put the age-old Mumbai vs Delhi debate to an end. Which one do you like more and why?
Sanya Malhotra: I am a Delhiite! Never going to answer this question, I love both, and that is never going to change ever.
Q. Not many people know that you are also a trained ballet dancer? What is that like? Do you still practice?
Sanya Malhotra: I don’t practice. I can’t call myself a ballet dancer anymore, but yes, in college, I did learn the Vaganova style of ballet, a Russian form, in Delhi. So, it was quite a satisfying experience to be doing ballet, but I really hope I get to practice it again someday.
Q. You’ve done a lot of women-centric roles, and the audience loved each one of them. What’s one change you still hope to see in the industry when it comes to women-led stories?
Sanya Malhotra: More women behind the camera, more women writers, and more women technicians. I would love to see more women not just in front of the camera but also as technicians, because the last time I was promoting Mrs., I was told there were only 17 per cent.
I am not claiming the number; I could be wrong. But only 17 per cent of women technicians work in the industry, and I would like that number to grow.
