Turning the constant ‘You can’t do this’ into ‘I will’ has become Sanjana Sanghi’s go-to mantra. A month ago, the actor — who made her Bollywood debut opposite late Sushant Singh Rajput in Dil Bechara (2020) — shared with mid-day her excitement about being the only female actor invited to the Women in Power conference at the Harvard Kennedy School (Harvard, here I come- 16/03/2026). In her speech at the Arts and Advocacy panel, Sanghi emphasised that defying stereotypes and pushing forward is essential for women.
Dhak Dhak
While she absorbed lessons from the global leaders she met, Sanghi also reflected on her own acting journey. “I feel I was able to culminate my journey from working since childhood as an actor to working for the United Nation’s social impact. To be around such brilliant personalities only proved that women are leading the way, in every sphere,” she says.
Sanjana Sanghi at Harvard
Never one to take no for an answer, she has consistently pushed against limitations, whether in her early acting years or during her student life. “There were so many times I was told to choose one path. You are constantly placed at those crossroads, but the only thing that stays is the determination to not take no for an answer and push forward. This has helped me in some of my toughest moments,” she shares.
Dil Bechara
The film industry, she notes, often comes with unspoken rules — what roles one can take, how one should behave, or even how one should present oneself. Sanghi chose to tune out such noise. “When you are young and don’t know your way around [the industry], a lot of these noises can affect the way you view your decisions. That happened with me, and many of my actor friends. As you gain more experience, people are able to sense the conviction in your craft. Some filmmakers have a keen eye for that.”
For Sanghi, limitations are easy to impose but harder to accept. She believes the responsibility lies in staying committed to one’s craft. “When many can try to limit your potential, the onus is on us to keep the relationship with our craft firm and limitless. [Then] it’s difficult to box someone,” she asserts.
Sanjana Sanghi’s works
>> 2011: ‘Rockstar’ (as a child actor)
>> 2020: ‘Dil Bechara’
>> 2022: ‘Rashtra Kavach Om’
>> 2023: ‘Dhak Dhak’
>> 2023: ‘Kadak Singh’
Reports suggest that Sanjana Sanghi has the sequel to the road-trip film ‘Dhak Dhak’ in the pipeline.
