EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Actor Sobhita Dhulipala dresses up like legendary artist Frida Kahlo in a striking photo-essay that redefines the very notions of beauty.

- AASHMITA NAYAR

Enigmatically elegant, Sobhita Dhulipala’s quiet persona (on- and off-screen) doesn’t just make its presence felt. It lingers, with measured soul and fire. Donning a unibrow and a moustache to pay homage to Frida Kahlo, for the 13th anniversary issue of Bazaar India, has only magnified this inexplicable effect Sobhita has. And the special photo essay only highlights her ability to shift and fluidly flow into different characters, be it Tara Khanna in Amazon Prime Video’s web-series Made in Heaven [2019], Simmy in her debut film Raman Raghav 2.0 [2016], or Moothon’s Rosy [2019].

The model-turned-actress, who bagged a nomination for best supporting actor at Cannes in 2016 for her debut film, claims that she is proud of her evolving perceptions of beauty over the years. “It is because I made a conscious effort to question beauty ideals and found my own rhythm within the system,” she reveals. “I find facial hair to be beautiful and very telling of our unique cultural heritage.”