Imagine you are shooting for a thriller, but off camera, it feels like a comedy,” laughs Sanya Malhotra. It is evident that the shoot of HIT - The First Case, an adaptation of the 2020 Telugu film of the same name, was a blast. The film’s trailer released on Thursday, depicting Rajkummar Rao as an officer in the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) and Malhotra as his love interest who goes missing.

While Sailesh Kolanu’s directorial venture is a dark thriller, Malhotra says it’s the most fun she has had on a set. “Through the film’s making, I was overworked. I was juggling multiple projects. But that set didn’t feel heavy even for a day. HIT was a boost of serotonin, as I was surrounded by such creative minds.”

The actor heaps praise on co-actor Rao, with whom she has collaborated for the first time. “There is so much to learn from him. Everyone knows how good he is. He knows he has proved himself, and yet, he never stops or lets himself slack. The excitement of an acting student is intact in him,” she notes.

It’s an important month for Malhotra. The actor has also kicked off the prep for Sam Bahadur, Meghna Gulzar’s biopic on Sam Manekshaw. The film sees Vicky Kaushal as the country’s first Field Marshal, and Malhotra as his wife Siloo. She is elated to have a Gulzar film so early on in her career. “She is the kind of filmmaker you learn from. I am ready with notepads and pens, because for an actor who is learning on [the job], this is a place that will [teach me a great deal].”