Sobhita Dhulipala reveals Bollywood struggle, "as an outsider, you’re just trying to figure it out"

Highlights:

Winning a beauty pageant, moving to Mumbai and entering the entertainment industry might sound like a dream career path. But for Telugu actor Sobhita Dhulipala, the journey was far from glamorous. The actor says that being an outsider in the Indian film industry was intimidating, particularly because she had no influential family member or industry insider to guide her through the system.

In a recent interview with GQ India, Sobhita opened up about the difficulties of finding work, navigating auditions and dealing with an industry where connections can make a significant difference. Her experience also highlights an uncomfortable reality for aspiring actors: sometimes, even having the right credentials can work against you.

How Sobhita Dhulipala's modelling background became a disadvantage

Sobhita moved from Visakhapatnam to Mumbai for college while pursuing modelling. In 2013, she won the Miss India Earth pageant, hoping the achievement would open doors to runway modelling and eventually acting.

However, the recognition did not necessarily make her journey easier. She revealed that her beauty pageant background became a disadvantage during runway auditions. When she tried to enter films, her modelling experience was also held against her.

Instead of giving her an easy entry into the entertainment business, her background appeared to create another set of expectations she had to overcome.

Recalling her early struggles, Dhulipala explained how difficult it was to enter an unfamiliar industry without professional connections.

"When I was in college, I would look at the covers of magazines like GQ and Vogue, and I thought that couldn’t happen for someone like me, to belong in a sphere like this. I didn’t have a godfather or a godmother coming to save me. As an outsider, you’re just trying to figure it out; there’s no knowledge or guidance. It’s very intimidating.”

Her comments bring attention to the industry's insider culture, where access to opportunities and professional guidance can be as important as talent. For newcomers without established connections, even understanding how to navigate auditions and secure the right opportunities can become a challenge.

Hundreds of auditions before her first film

Sobhita did not immediately land a major project after entering the industry. She went through numerous auditions before securing her first acting opportunity in Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal.

The film marked an important turning point in her career and took her to the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

Looking back, the actor said that opportunities gradually began to come her way, allowing her to work with creative people and take on projects she believed in.

“I went to so many auditions, and then I got my first part. I went to Cannes, I got to meet a whole bunch of very bright people… You keep learning, and then something cracks. When it happens, you realise anyone can do anything, that this is a circus, and we are all just crazy, excited, creative lunatics. You realise you don’t need anyone’s validation, and that realisation sets you free. There’s so much joy beyond the need to be told that you’re good enough. But it takes courage, work and time.”

From outsider to an international career

Sobhita gradually established herself through projects across different languages and formats. She appeared in films including Chef, Kaalakaandi, Goodachari, Moothon, Kurup and Major.

Her portrayal of Tara Khanna in Amazon Prime Video's Made in Heaven brought her wider recognition. She also appeared in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: I and Ponniyin Selvan: II, as well as the series Bard of Blood and The Night Manager.

In 2024, she made her Hollywood debut in Dev Patel's action thriller Monkey Man, followed by the Hindi film Love, Sitara.

Her journey does not prove that industry connections are irrelevant. Instead, it shows how difficult it can be for outsiders to find opportunities without them. Sobhita's biggest takeaway from those early struggles is that an actor's worth cannot depend entirely on industry approval.

As she puts it, finding that confidence takes courage, work and time.