Sanya is from the Sanskrit saṃjñā (सञ्ज्या — distinctive name, consciousness) — also possibly the iconic foundational Russian-Slavic diminutive of Aleksandra. A modern American baby name in the broader Sanskrit-Bollywood heritage aesthetic. Sanya Malhotra (born 1992) — iconic Indian Bollywood actress + classical Bharatanatyam dancer; widely considered one of the most-celebrated contemporary Indian actresses; her foundational films include the iconic foundational **Dangal (2016) — Bollywood debut at age 24 — directed by Nitesh Tiwari — opposite Aamir Khan — playing the foundational role of Babita Phogat (the iconic foundational Indian wrestler — Commonwealth Games gold medalist) — widely considered the foundational highest-grossing Indian film of all time at the time of release — over $330 million worldwide box office — making Dangal the foundational highest-grossing Indian film in China + the foundational #1 non-English language film in iconic foundational Chinese box office history; Pataakha (2018) — directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Photograph (2019) — directed by Ritesh Batra — opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui — Sundance Film Festival 2019 premiere, Badhaai Ho (2018) — supporting role — Filmfare Best Film nominee, Shakuntala Devi (2020) opposite Vidya Balan, Pagglait (2021) — Netflix India — earned her foundational Filmfare OTT Best Actress (Comedy), Sam Bahadur (2023) — directed by Meghna Gulzar — opposite Vicky Kaushal, Jawan (2023) opposite Shah Rukh Khan + Nayanthara, and the iconic foundational Mrs (2024) — directed by Arati Kadav* — a foundational adaptation of the iconic foundational Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)* — widely considered one of the foundational works of modern Indian feminist cinema — earned her foundational Filmfare OTT Best Actress (2025); over 3 million Instagram followers. Princess Sanya — Hindu heritage naming.
Featured throughout Bollywood and Sanskrit heritage.
Sanya reduces to four.