A few weeks ago, Sobhita Dhulipala’s mother surprised the actor with an incredulous request. “Last week my mom was telling me to take the GMAT,” laughs the actor. “I told her I’m not knitting in Bombay, [acting] is a career.” In the short time since her debut in the Indian film industry, Dhulipala has starred in an Anurag Kashyap film ( Raman Raghav 2.0 ) and twice acted alongside Saif Ali Khan ( Kaalakaandi and Chef ). Most recently, she had top billing in the Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s web series Made in Heaven ( MIH ).
Then and now
Dhulipala and I are talking about her life before and after MIH . Instead of basking in its subsequent radiance, the actor is yet to allow the success sink in. “What if a satellite went off and there was no electricity, would I still be relevant?” she asks me. The concern is rational for an ex-uncool kid who was pelted with paper balls in college. Arriving in Mumbai at 16, Dhulipala studied in H.R. College of Commerce And Economics and by her own admission was constantly trying to fit in. “I never watched TV as a kid. I was very nerdy, not chatty or friendly, I was always spending time by myself. In retrospect, I wonder why I was almost non-existent.”
But Dhulipala more than exists; she has the ability to command a room. Sitting straight in a chair, dressed in a casual asymmetrical skirt and sleeveless top with sneakers, the actor measures her words carefully. She’s deliberately articulate to ensure that the right meaning is conveyed. Though Dhulipala is infinitely more confident than earlier, she says there’s still a long way to go. “When I look back, I didn’t know anything. I’ve been so naive and it’s kind of stupid … textbook- wala intelligence,” she muses. “I’ve not been clever but I think that has given me strength.” Then as if it’s a Eureka moment, she exclaims: “Sensitivity gives me strength.” What keeps her going is the ability to constantly learn and be able to thrive in the different facets of her personality. One day she’s embodying Dolly Parton’s Southern belle attitude with big curls and a swing in a stride. Then the next, she’s moved onto Missy Elliot’s commanding swagger. “I can’t just have this one life, I want more,” she laughs heartily. “That’s the same thing that extends to me wanting to be an actor.”
Making it work
This mix of complexity and contradictory personality don’t always bode well particularly in an industry where self-preservation is the priority. Dhulipala’s greatest frustration in the last couple of years has been to balance being an a storyteller and an efficient networker. “It’s exhausting when you have to be both,” she says adding a smile. “But I have managed. I have a career.” Then there’s been the shoot for MIH , which was, in the actor’s words not smooth but definitely character building. “We were all new to each other and frictions formed,” she recollects. “In my head, I’m still this girl from Vizag [Visakhapatnam]. MIH was my school, it was like bootcamp for the brain.”
In some ways, Dhulipala is similar to Tara, her character in MIH . Both have risen from their station to feed their relentless ambition. “But I am not as unapologetic as she is. I am softer. With [Tara] there’s this sense of a hustle. I’m not like that,” says Dhulipala. The actor was thrilled to be part of a show that explored serious subjects: from homosexuality and molestation to sexism. Next on the cards is the Netflix show Bard of Blood , Jeethu Joseph’s Hindi thriller Body , and Geetu Mohandas’ Moothon . Dhulipala’s ultimate goal is to become a writer, which she understands is difficult to sustain as a career. “Acting is as much of a gamble which seems to be paying off,” she chuckles.
Made in Heaven is currently streaming on Amazon Prime
