Brainpicking : Sobhitha Dhulipala on getting into films

Ms. Sobhita Dhulipala speaks about acting, modelling, linguistic diversity, empathy, human behaviour, and belongingness in a candid conversation with Annapurna College students.

During a special webinar with Dean Anuradha Rao, she shared insights from her journey across languages, mediums, and industries, reflecting on both the privileges and challenges of being an actor today.

As an artist, she describes nothing more magical than watching a story travel from script to screen. Working across Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil projects, she has seen every part of that process: ideas forming, moments being captured, and fragile human emotions being preserved on camera.

For her, the thrill lies in 'living many lives' through different characters. Each role stretches emotional and physical limits, demands vulnerability, and adds to her sense of wisdom and maturity. Stepping outside the comfort zone is not an exception but a basic requirement for actors. Her work spans acclaimed projects such as Made in Heaven, Ghost Stories, Moothon, Goodachari, Major, and Ponniyin Selvan.

How Reading Made Her a Better Actor

Coming from a family of PhD holders, Sobhita spent much of her childhood as an introvert with a strong bias towards reading. That quiet, 'geeky' phase became a foundation for her later work in cinema. Books deepened her understanding of people, inner conflicts, and emotional subtext—elements she now brings into her performances.

She notes that filmmaking is collaborative and open to interpretation, and reading has often helped her elevate scripts by suggesting nuanced choices in tone, backstory, or behaviour. Exploring other art forms such as painting and writing has also given her new channels for personal growth, broadening the range of perspectives she can draw from as an actor.

Film Auditions as Character Building

Auditions, she says, are a powerful litmus test: every “yes“ and every “no“ teaches something. Because she did not fit the stereotypical “heroine“ mould, it took time for the right roles to find her. In Mumbai, she went through hundreds of auditions, using each one to better understand human behaviour, expectations, and her own resilience.

Over time, auditioning became a way of life. That period shaped key traits such as inner strength, clarity of vision, and emotional endurance. It also strengthened her commitment to financial independence, personal discipline, self-honesty, and self-awareness—qualities that continue to anchor her in a volatile industry.

From Modelling to Acting

After an eventful stint in modelling and pageants, she became increasingly aware of the gap between real life and the glamour on the surface. She also recognised how unstable and unsustainable a purely modelling-based career could be in the Indian context.

Learning Hindi for advertisements and opportunities like the Kingfisher Calendar slowly nudged her towards cinema. Eventually, she made her acting debut in the psychological thriller Raman Raghav 2.0, marking a deliberate shift from being seen to being heard and felt as a performer.

Career Choices and Focus

Sobhita draws a clear line between the path of a “star“ and that of an “actor,“ noting that they demand different kinds of preparation, pressure, and visibility. Occasionally, one project can offer both, but her primary focus has been on meaningful roles that challenge her and say something honest about the world.

Choosing a film like Raman Raghav 2.0 early in her career signalled that preference. Since then, she has consistently sought characters and stories that align with her values and curiosity, which she believes is a big part of why her journey looks the way it does today.

About Sobhita Dhulipala

Born in Tenali and raised in Visakhapatnam, Sobhita moved to Mumbai for college, where she participated in talent festivals and pageants, winning Femina Miss India Earth 2013. After a successful run in fashion modelling, she transitioned into acting. She is formally trained in Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Kathak, and has built a career across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam industries.

Her filmography includes Raman Raghav 2.0, Moothon, Kurup, Goodachari, Major, and the two-part epic Ponniyin Selvan, along with acclaimed web series such as Made in Heaven, Bard of Blood, The Night Manager, and Made in Heaven Season 2. She has been recognised at the Cannes Film Festival and received multiple awards and nominations for emerging performance and excellence in the performing arts.

A self-described nerd and history enthusiast, she credits her curiosity about life and willingness to take risks as the core forces driving her work and choices.