With a filmography that comfortably spans cinema and OTT, actor-director Sayani Gupta has steadily carved out a space of her own. From the much-loved Inside Edge to projects like Article 15, Jolly LLB 2 and Four More Shots Please!, she has consistently chosen roles that stand out. Now, with her directorial debut Aasmani winning back-to-back honours and screenings at international film festivals, and her latest show Glory streaming on Netflix to strong reviews, the actor-director finds herself in a phase that feels both overwhelming and deeply fulfilling.
She laughs when asked about processing this busy phase, and she admits, “I need two days of no work and just sleep. I’m not getting any right now. But it’s all good because the biggest blessing is being busy and doing what we love. Everything is coming back together, the travels and the film festival journey with Aasmani, with Glory on top. It is all piled up one after the other, and it’s fab. I can’t complain, life is good.”
Her latest show, Glory, brings her back together with long-time collaborators. Speaking about what drew her to the project, she explains, “Karan Anshuman and Mohit Shah have been collaborators for a very long time. They both run Atomic Films now and they have produced Glory together. Karan created Inside Edge and they were both part of Inside Edge. It was the first Amazon Prime Video original series in India. I loved playing my part and it got so much love.”
What sealed the deal for her this time, however, was the script itself and the world it created. Sayani describes, “They sent me the script, and I was thrilled, not just by my character but also the world they built. Two estranged brothers who return to their boxing-obsessed town in Haryana to seek revenge after a violent attack on their sister and the suspicious death of a local boxer, forcing them to confront their strict, legendary coach father. I play Joyna Hazarika, an investigative journalist determined to uncover the truth behind a mysterious murder.”
Working with actors like Divyenndu Sharma and Pulkit Samrat added another layer of excitement for her. She shares, “Divyenndu and Pulkit were two people I genuinely wanted to work with for a long time. Divyenndu is a senior from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and Pulkit is somebody I have known over the years. You constantly meet actors you really like and hope you get put together in a room, but that power is not in your hands. With Glory, after Delhi Crime, everything came together, and it felt like a safe space.”
For Sayani, preparation remains a deeply collaborative process. She expresses, “I read the script many times, discuss with the director, sit and do the homework, and figure out what needs to be done at that time. Karan, as a director, is very clear about what he wants from each scene, character, every cconversation. I also come up with ideas, some he takes and some he does not, but he appreciates it. Costumes, hair, makeup, and the team help build the entire character together.”
Recently, she was honoured with South Asian Person of the Year 2026 by the Harvard South Asian Association (SAA). Talking about the recognition, she reflects, “It’s quite humbling that they chose me and awarded me with this honour. All I feel is gratitude, and because it’s Harvard, there is that prestige, though I haven’t sat down and thought about it yet.”
At this point in her career, Sayani stands at an intersection where acting and storytelling coexist with equal importance. She continues to move forward with both, embracing the chaos, creativity, and everything in between, as she shapes stories both in front of and behind the camera.