Mrunal Thakur on Sunday celebrated the seventh anniversary of her debut film Love Sonia by sharing behind-the-scenes pictures from the sets of the film.

“7 years ago, life surprised me with the most unexpected gift Love Sonia. I was just a small-town girl, with big dreams in her heart, and somehow out of thousands, Sonia chose me,” the 33-year-old actress wrote.

“I still remember the nervous excitement of being on set, surrounded by legends Demi Moore, Freida Pinto, Richa Chadha, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Riya Sisodiya, Saie Tamhankar, Mark Duplass… each one teaching me something new every single day. I felt like the tiniest fish in a vast ocean, but their kindness made me feel like I belonged,” she further said.

“And then there was Tabrez Noorani, our captain, our fearless guide. He once told me, ‘No matter what happens commercially, we must be proud of the lives this film saves.’ Those words are etched in my heart forever. A huge thank you also to David Womark, and to Ruchira Gupta and the real superheroes fighting every day against trafficking they are the true inspiration,” the Sita Ramam actress continued.

“The most beautiful part is that Love Sonia went beyond the screen. It sparked change, inspired NGOs, saved lives. Even today, people still reach out after watching it, and my heart fills with gratitude,” Mrunal added.

Mrunal said that she owes “everything” to her debut film. “Sonia gave me courage, gave me a voice, gave me a family in cinema. Thank you to everyone who made this journey possible,” she signed off.

Released on September 14, 2018, Love Sonia is directed by Tabrez Noorani. The story follows Sonia (Mrunal Thakur), a young girl from rural India who sets out to rescue her sister Preeti (Riya Sisodiya) after she is sold into human trafficking. Her search leads her into Mumbai’s red-light district, where she too is trapped in the sex trade.