I have a deep respect for the performing arts: Sobhita Dhulipala

Mumbai: Sobhita Dhulipala always had a deep respect for performing arts, which is why she wants to debunk the notion in the film industry that actors with modelling backgrounds are just ‘glam dolls’.

The actor, who has featured in varied projects such as the ‘Made in Heaven’ series and Mani Ratnam’s two-part magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, said her aim has always been to look for complex parts.

“When I started, I was aware that people knew that I came from a modelling background. I was Miss India. And there is a prejudice against them - that they are glam dolls and they can’t perform. So, I was mindful that I should pick parts that gave me scope for performance. A lot of my initial decisions were driven by that. I have a deep respect for the performing arts and I want to do a good job and be better every day,” the 31-year-old actor told the top news agency.

Born in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, Dhulipala was the first runner-up at the Femina Miss India 2013 beauty pageant. She later represented India at Miss Earth 2013 in the Philippines.

The actor made her acting debut with Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ in 2016 and later followed it up with the movies ‘Chef’ and ‘Kaalakaandi’. She found critical acclaim for her performance in the ‘Prime Video’ series ‘Made in Heaven’, in which she played the role of Tara Khanna, a wedding planner. Besides her work in Hindi movies and shows, Dhulipala also ventured into the South Indian film market, where she featured in ‘Goodachari’ (Telugu), ‘Moothon’ (Malayalam) and the bilingual movie ‘Major’.

“I didn’t find mainstream opportunities in the very beginning, so I was doing work that was coming my way and picking what was best from the lot. But I felt belonging to a variety of canvases was an opportunity to be visible to a larger junta and build stories. Different regions have storytelling that is unique to their temperament. You grow so much as an actor,” she said.