The Art Of Being SOBHITA DHULIPALA

The camera loves her, fans adore her and fashion savants admire her. But her sharp features, screen presence and impeccable style aside, it's her penchant for art and design that makes this multifaceted actor the perfect muse for an art-inspired shoot. In an intimate têteà-tête with Sobhita Dhulipala, HELLO! discovers what's made her an OTT darling with her distinctive choice in movies and shows and a playfulness that's often shrouded in mystery...

- SHRADDHA CHOWDHURY

“I gravitate towards design, towards poetry and things that are delicately expressed between the lines. I have loved art since I was a child, without knowing it was called art!” Sobhita Dhulipala sums up what makes her the perfect muse for HELLO!’s Art Special, as we prep for an early shoot on a balmy Thursday morning in Mumbai.

Notwithstanding her ill health, Sobhita is effortlessly gorgeous when she arrives on set. Her thick mane, strong jaw, prominent pout and kohl-rimmed wide eyes alluring, but overshadowed by her undemanding poise and warm, friendly disposition towards all.

“I remember going to the India Art Fair in Delhi a few years ago and being bowled over by the variety that we have in our country. Such tremendously talented artists…” she shares. “I had a Jamini Roy print of a Santhal girl, which somehow became part of my experience growing in the past few years. There’s also an Umakant Kanade piece that I find really, really beautiful.”

Sobhita’s innate love for the arts is evident in the passion with which she speaks about her favourite works. Be it cinema — her chosen path — sculptures, paintings, music or other kinds of performance arts, her perception of the field lays bare the maturity of an experienced eye and an appreciation that’s often missing in those concerned with other creative mediums.

“Every medium has its way of reaching people and touching different parts of their soul. And I don’t think one’s more effective than another. That’s a very shallow way of looking at art!” she says, ready to face the camera before a special hand-painted backdrop that pops against the black and white of the ensemble she wears.