‘I’m not doing the Kanchana remake’: Sobhita Dhulipala refutes rumours of being part of Akshay Kumar film

Tell Sobhita Dhulipala that the recognition she has managed to achieve with her web series Made In Heaven is something that even her three earlier films, Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), Kaalakaandi (2017) and Chef (2017) could not do, and she laughs. She says, “It does feel great that a piece of work I have done has reached out to so many people. But it’s so funny because I have done honest work in everything I have been a part of. That’s why when people ask me where I have suddenly come from, I reply, ‘I was around only, but no one was looking.’ With a couple of projects in her kitty — probably even a second season of the show — the former model informs us that she wants to constantly surprise herself with her choices. Excerpts from a chat with her...

People have binge-watched the show...

Yes, and that’s a huge compliment. When I read the script, I was surprised to see how it juxtaposed the grandeur of people’s ambitions and their lifestyles against the inadequacies of the simplest human needs. It’s such a paradox. It was nice to have something that reflects the truth of our times.

Your character, Tara Khanna, is so layered. How did you get into the head of this complex personality?

To be frank, it was liberating to play such a flawed character. We are so caught up with the idea of heroes and villains, that we think there is no scope for grey at all. But, in reality, we are all grey, depending on our level of emotional stability and security. All of us feel jealousy, disappointment as well as excitement, and to have a character that embodied these emotions, and to be so unapologetic about it, was a delight. Here is somebody who is like a lot of us, who is very ambitious but at the same time, really vulnerable. It was a beautiful learning experience for me.

Has the show resulted in more offers for films or web series?

There are conversations that have begun, but nothing has been completely locked yet.

You will be seen in the web series, Bard Of Blood. Can you tell us about that?

The screenplay is like an evolved version of the book. Also, some of the character dynamics are altered and it’s a completely different terrain in terms of the conflict and from what I have done before. I have done action for the first time in my life and I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed it and was actually good at it (smiles)!

You’re also in The Body with Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor.

Yes, I play a mysterious and layered character. You would like to dislike her, but you also understand her. It allowed me to deliver a nuanced performance.

Speculations are rife that you’re doing the Hindi remake of the Tamil film Kanchana with Akshay Kumar...

I was shooting for the Bard Of Blood in Rajasthan when someone sent me a congratulatory message. I replied with a ‘thank you’, but added a question mark to it. They wrote back saying it’s for the Kanchana remake that I was doing. So, I sent one more question mark back and googled myself. A similar thing had happened with Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior as well. I’m not doing it (Kanchana), but I’m quite amused with these rumours (laughs).