Actress Sobhita Dhulipala chats with HELLO! about the year gone by, her secret to staying motivated, and the one thing everyone has been waiting for, Made In Heaven Season 2!
HELLO!: From being on HELLO!’s last cover to our ‘Promising Star of the Year!’ How does it feel?
Sobhita Dhulipala: “It feels wonderful to be motivated like this because I’ve had a journey where every choice I made came from genuinely wanting to give a good performance and do a variety of roles. So in that path, as an outsider, it’s very encouraging when you find that recognition and acknowledgement. It leaves me feeling eager to push myself even more.”
H!: What is your benchmark for success?
SD: “Would you say you have ‘arrived?’ A benchmark for success, I think, has more to do with how one looks back at their body of work and think, did I make those choices with an honest mind, or were they because I genuinely loved the character? Such things matter to me. I may feel that emotion of having ‘arrived’ once I retire and look back, decades from now, at what a good life and a good career I had. But now is a great time to be hungry, a great time to work hard and a great time to give it my best shot.”
H!: Share a few moments that stood out for you in the past year.
SD: “The release of PS1 and PS2, and the opportunity to have danced in four songs in a Mani Ratnam-AR Rahman spectacle were really special. I also shot and released both parts of The Night Manager, which did so well and gave me a lot of joy. There are a lot of highs and lows tied to work because I really give it my all. Apart from these, my sister got married a couple of months ago. It was a very sweet time with family.”
H!: Which projects are you most excited about for 2023? When do we see Tara again?
SD: “I can’t tell you how excited I am for Season 2 of Made in Heaven to be out (fingers crossed!) in two to three months! I had such an incredible time shooting for the second season, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone — more so because so many people connected with Tara, my character, on a deeper level. They felt understood by her, represented by her, inspired by her, her sense of self and how she moves through the world… There’s also part 2 of The Night Manager releasing on June 30 and a lovely film I shot with Jio Cinemas and Baweja Studios last year. Plus, my first Hollywood project, Monkey Man, is in the pipeline, as well. So it seems like it’s going to be an exciting year ahead for me!”
H!: In today’s fast-paced world, how do you stay positive and in the moment, and get through tough times?
SD: “Staying positive isn’t a destination we need to try to reach when feeling down in the dumps. During the times I feel low, I consciously pick myself up and remind myself that there’s so much in my life today that I used to dream about as a kid. That’s one way to remain positive… I’ve been blessed with the ability to stay in the moment, perhaps because I’m so moody. Also, mindfulness is a very important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. One can start with something as simple as mindful eating. There’s a lot of beauty in doing something with complete focus. In fact, it’s a way to get through tough times. There’s a secret answer in the question.”
This story has been adapted for the website from a story that was originally published in Hello! India’s May 2023 issue. Get your hands on the latest issue right here!
