Sai Pallavi is known for keeping her private life out of the spotlight. She is close to her family, and her sister Pooja Kannan also works in films. She enjoys badminton.
She is known for refusing fairness-cream endorsements and for speaking against unrealistic beauty standards. She often appears without heavy make-up and encourages self-acceptance. After Padi Padi Leche Manasu (2018) failed, she was widely praised for declining the rest of her fee to support the producers.