Sobhita Dhulipala has opened up about her experience as a Telugu actor after an Instagram influencer spoke about the lack of support within the community.
The discussion began when Hyderabad-based influencer Ahalya posted a video saying Telugu people often speak proudly about their cinema, culture and identity, but do not always support one another.
Sobhita agreed with the sentiment and shared her own experience of leaving for Mumbai at the age of 16 to pursue her dreams.
She wrote that she had no guarantee of succeeding, but still took the risk because she felt the environment around her was deeply resistant and judgemental towards people who dared to dream, especially outsiders entering a new field.
Sobhita added that women often face an even greater challenge.
She wrote, “I packed my bags and left for Mumbai at age 16, with no guarantee of making it, but I took my chance because it was clear to me that the environment here felt deeply resistant and judgemental of anyone who dares to dream, especially if you’re an outsider to whichever field you want to enter. Double dose if you’re a woman.”
At the same time, Sobhita said she hoped things had changed since then and wished that people in the Telugu community would become more supportive of those trying to build unconventional careers.
Sobhita made her acting debut with Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0 in 2016 and later gained wider recognition with the Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven.
She has since appeared in films such as Goodachari, Major, Moothon, Kurup, Ponniyin Selvan: I and Ponniyin Selvan: II, along with the series The Night Manager.
She also made her Hollywood debut with the action thriller Monkey Man.
Sobhita was last seen in the Telugu thriller Cheekatilo. Her upcoming projects include the Tamil sci-fi post-apocalyptic film Vettuvam, directed by Pa. Ranjith.