Hyderabad: Actor Sobhita Dhulipala has spoken about the criticism and lack of support she believes some people from the Telugu community face when they pursue unconventional careers or take risks. Her comments came after Instagram influencer Ahalya questioned whether Telugu people adequately support members of their own community when they venture into new areas.
Sobhita responded to Ahalya’s post with a ‘100’ emoji before sharing her own experience of leaving home for Mumbai at the age of 16. Recalling the environment she encountered while growing up in the Telugu states, the actor said she felt it was judgemental towards people who wanted to pursue unfamiliar paths, with women facing additional scrutiny.
She also expressed hope that attitudes have changed over the years and ended her message by wishing members of the community could “grow wings (and a spine)”.
Sobhita recalls moving to Mumbai at 16
Sobhita said her decision to leave home for Mumbai came without any certainty about what the future would hold.
“I packed my bags and left for Mumbai at age 16, with no guarantee of making it but I took my chance cus it was clear to me that the environment here felt deeply resistant and judgemental of anyone who dares to dream, especially if you’re an outsider to whichever field you want to enter. Double dose if you’re a woman (sic),” she wrote.
Her comments were shared in response to Ahalya’s video, in which the Hyderabad-based influencer questioned what she described as a tendency among some Telugu people to be critical of members of their own community rather than supporting their new ventures.
Ahalya argued that Telugu people often express pride in their cinema, culture and community but may not always offer the same level of encouragement when someone starts a business, opens a restaurant or takes an unconventional professional path.
The influencer described this as a broader social issue and said that criticism can become particularly noticeable when someone attempts something outside established expectations.
‘Grow wings and a spine’
Sobhita said she hoped the situation had changed since the time she left for Mumbai.
“Well, this was a while ago, and I do hope things are different now. Here’s wishing everyone in our community can grow wings (and a spine),” she said.
Her response brought her personal experience into a discussion that began with Ahalya’s observations about community support.
The actor did not suggest that every Telugu person or every part of the Telugu community behaves in the same way. Instead, her comments centred on the environment she recalled experiencing while deciding to pursue a career away from the more conventional paths available to her.
Her reference to women receiving a “double dose” of judgement also placed gender expectations at the centre of her experience.
Ahalya’s comments spark discussion
Ahalya’s original video focused on what she described as a contradiction between community pride and support for individual achievement.
She questioned why people can be enthusiastic about Telugu cinema, culture and identity while becoming sceptical or critical when another member of the community tries to build something independently.
Her examples included people starting businesses, opening restaurants or attempting something outside familiar professional choices.
The discussion subsequently gained wider attention after Sobhita, herself a Telugu actor who left for Mumbai as a teenager, publicly agreed with the broader sentiment.
Sobhita’s response has given the conversation an additional perspective because her own career involved moving away from her home environment at a young age and entering an industry in which she had no established family background.
Sobhita’s journey from Tenali to Mumbai
Sobhita was born in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh. She moved to Mumbai when she was 16 and later studied corporate law before entering the modelling and entertainment industries.
She represented India at the Miss Earth 2013 pageant before moving into acting.
Her film debut came with Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0 in 2016. The psychological crime thriller featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal alongside Sobhita.
She subsequently worked across Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil cinema, building a career that has included both films and streaming projects.
Her Telugu filmography includes Goodachari, while her other notable films include Moothon and Ponniyin Selvan: Part I.
The actor has also had a significant presence on streaming platforms, particularly through Made in Heaven and The Night Manager.
From unconventional beginnings to Telugu cinema
Sobhita’s career has taken her across different industries and languages, making her experience particularly relevant to the discussion about stepping outside familiar professional environments.
Her move to Mumbai at 16 was an early example of such a decision. At the time, she did not have a guarantee of success in the entertainment industry, as she acknowledged in her social media post.
Her comments suggest that the decision was driven partly by her desire to pursue opportunities despite the uncertainty involved.
She has since established herself as an actor working across different forms of Indian cinema, while also maintaining a connection with Telugu-language projects.
Her latest release is Cheekatilo, a Telugu crime thriller directed by Sharan Koppisetty. The film is written by Chandra Pemmaraju and produced by D Suresh Babu under Suresh Productions.
Sobhita stars in the film alongside Vishwadev Rachakonda.
Sobhita’s connection to Telugu cinema
Although much of Sobhita’s career has been based outside Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Telugu cinema has remained an important part of her professional journey.
Her performance in Goodachari brought her into a Telugu spy-thriller, while Cheekatilo marks another recent Telugu project.
Her work across industries has also allowed her to move between different languages and filmmaking environments.
That background informs the perspective she shared in her response to Ahalya’s post. Her comments were not simply about the entertainment industry but about the broader experience of people choosing careers or lifestyles that may differ from expectations within their communities.
Sobhita and Naga Chaitanya
Sobhita married actor Naga Chaitanya in Hyderabad in December 2024. The couple’s wedding brought further public attention to the actor, who has continued to balance her film career with her personal life.
Despite her growing profile, Sobhita’s latest remarks focused on an issue she said she encountered much earlier in her life.
Her message also contained an element of optimism. By saying she hoped things were different now, she acknowledged that social attitudes can change over time.
A conversation about community support
The discussion initiated by Ahalya and amplified by Sobhita raises questions about how communities respond when their members take unconventional paths.
Support can take different forms, from encouraging a new business or creative project to simply allowing people to pursue choices without excessive judgement. At the same time, the experiences of individuals within a large and diverse linguistic community can vary considerably.
Sobhita’s comments are based on her own recollection of growing up in the Telugu states and subsequently moving to Mumbai. Her hope that the environment has changed leaves room for a more positive interpretation of how younger generations may experience their communities today.
For Sobhita, the message is ultimately about allowing people to take chances and supporting those who choose to pursue unfamiliar paths. Her “grow wings (and a spine)” remark has now become the most prominent takeaway from her response, adding a personal dimension to a wider conversation about ambition, social expectations and community support.