Unravelling the Enigma of Sobhita Dhulipala

LET ME REVEAL A SECRET... SOBHITA DHULIPALA, AKA TARA OF MADE IN HEAVEN, IS NOTHING LIKE THE BOSS BABE SHE PLAYED IN HER SUPER SUCCESSFUL ROMANTIC DRAMA WEB SERIES. THIS ALSO SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HOW SKILLED SHE IS AT HER CRAFT AS AN ACTOR. IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNRAVEL THE ENIGMA AROUND THIS RAVISHING VERSATILE PERFORMER, WE SAT DOWN FOR A CONVERSATION AFTER A LONG DAY OF A VERY EXCITING PHOTO SHOOT AT THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE COLABA.

- Princy Jain

2023 has been a rewarding year for her. She finished filming for her Hollywood debut project with Dev Patel. She won critical acclaim for her role in Mani Ratnam's magnum opus - Ponniyin Selvan (PS-1 & PS -2). Despite an array of adulations coming from ubiquitously, her passion for detail and her nonchalance to all things worldly sets her apart from the rest. Dressed in a black silk gown, she calls for a hot cuppa of "station-waali chai" as she gives us a suggestion, "Can we skip talking about my history? I guess even the readers are bored of reading the same story! All magazine interviews tend to go the same way," she says with a smile.

And we start with her latest big hit, herself as Tara. I was curious about her first impression of this character and how she arrived to play it so convincingly. "Honestly, I am very fortunate to have a team of such brilliant writers and directors who did in-depth research for this character. I benefitted from this while playing Tara. Tara was written as a character who likes dressing up; her clothes, her couture, and her demeanour are like her defence against the whole world. She is vulnerable from within, but she has chosen to wrap herself in this cold, silent exterior, which she always guards fiercely." Born and brought up in Vizag, Shobhita says, "Honestly, I am more like my character, Vanathi, my character from Ponnin Selviyan. I grew up in an environment that was very quiet and peaceful. From my schooling days to college, there is a certain softness and tenderness in me still. Though I have played complex characters, my inner landscape is closer to Vanathi. Much like her, I prefer to speak my mind. I get emotional very easily, and I am a classical dancer, too."