Sobhita Dhulipala stars in Dev Patel’s debut directorial: What works for me is my love for risk-taking

The actor talks about working with Dev Patel last year, shooting for Monkey Man; adds she has her sights set on Hollywood.

She has a Malayalam film, a Telugu-Hindi bilingual movie, a Tamil magnum opus, a Hindi film and the second season of an OTT show but that is not all for Sobhita Dhulipala, who is on a roll. “All these projects with acclaimed filmmakers and teams… I worked my lungs out for years to be worthy of these opportunities and now that I am here, I choose to pour my blood and soul into it,” says the actor revealing that Hollywood was always on her mind. And, now, we have learnt that she is starring in the Hollywood actor, Dev Patel’s debut directorial, Monkey Man.

It is the greatest era for potent crossovers in all fields, says Sobhita.

“I am happiest when I am creative and this is a very special and passionately made project, I feel thoroughly motivated to do well and conjure up the gold in every moment. As an actor, I think what works for me is my love for risk-taking,” she exclaims.

Talking about the project, Dhulipala reveals, “I had auditioned for it almost five years ago and I got a call back in a few days for a screen test with Dev. I remember, it was on the day I was leaving for the Cannes Film festival with my first film Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016). All these years later and many turns in the journey of the film and our individual lives later, looks like we belonged with each other all along. What appealed to me about the project is that it’s a collaborative spirit, a young and rather eccentric approach to the story and most certainly the people involved. I knew it would be special from the get go. I really enjoyed my character’s tender dilemmas, they were as glamorous as sorrowful.”

With the pandemic last year, the Maid In Heaven actor shot for Monkey Man in Indonesia for four months. She states, it was “incredibly wholesome and introspective”. She adds, “This is the closest I have been to my own self, my family and my pursuits. I shot for Monkey Man during a global health crisis, which has its share of inconveniences but that aside, I didn’t find my journey during the film particularly challenging or difficult. I enjoyed every second of the ride.”

With a number of Indian actors making their presence felt globally, ask her if expectations a concern and she replies? “It is the greatest era for potent crossovers in all fields, I am very inspired by the many hard workers who stand tall globally. I am too much of a wayfarer to feel bogged down by expectations on any front. It’s a short, short life, you know? Gratitude and passion will light my path,” she concludes.