SOBHITA Dhulipala a straight talker

What is it like being a woman in India? Honest and uncontrived, 29-year-old Sobhita Dhulipala chats with Cosmo Editor Nandini Bhalla about the issues that surround gender, the importance of questioning norms, and how we can create a more inclusive world.

- Nandini Bhalla

Nandini Bhalla: What is it like being a woman in India?

Sobhita Dhulipala: “It is almost like Stockholm syndrome...which is interesting. I feel in India, women are still living by patriarchal rules. I have met women who judge other women who are trying to break out of the box. They are not able to take that journey to fight issues, and sometimes it becomes easier to pull down another person. We hear stories from rooms of ambition, where women have curtailed the growth of another woman. And we have heard of difficult mothers-in-law... I feel like we need better ‘relationship education’ in the country, because I don’t think the rules we have followed are applicable anymore.”

NB: How can women be better allies to other women?

SD: “Women don’t always support other women. This is something I have witnessed often and wish to change.

I am making an effort to be a better sister, especially since the past year, because change begins at home. It is when I discovered my mother outside of my relationship with her as a daughter and tried understanding her as a human being is when I was able to foster a healthier relationship with her. I stopped burdening her with my expectations of how she should be or demanding that she accept every fault of mine with love and care. In the process, we were able to become teammates and grow as human beings. Without growth, we wouldn’t be where we are, and anyone who says that’s not correct, is anti-life.”

NB: What led to this shift in your approach?