"Web Series Explores Gender Dynamics", Says "Bare Of Blood" Series Star Sobhita Dhulipala

The actress who came into limelight with her famous web series Bare Of Blood Sobhita Dhulipala says that the web series Bare Of Blood deals with the themes of gender dynamics and fear.

The seven-episode Netflix India Original, based on Bilal Siddiqi’s bestselling book of the same name, also features Emraan Hashmi, Vineet Singh, and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Also, it has been produced by superstar Shah Rukh Khan through his banner Red Chillies Entertainment.

Sobhita Dhulipala, who plays an Indian intelligence officer in the series, said the show has “political undertones” but views the field agents from a human lens.

“This show explores gender dynamics and fear. All these subjects like agents and Taliban, we consume them in cinema, books or news. But we forget they have beating hearts, they sweat, they get scared, etc".

“So when you come down to it, there are these three people who are so hard to be strong in the face of fear. It’s a very human story. It has political undertones. There’s a historical angle attached to it and the conflict, and I thought it was a very interesting script,” the actor told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive.

Sobhita said this is the first time she did action and it made her realize how artistes can end up limiting themselves. The series starts streaming on September 27.

“I was surprised that not only was I pretty decent at doing action but also enjoyed it. It made me realize how as an actor you decide that ‘this is who I am, this is my definition. And suddenly you are cast in a show like this and put in a different situation. You suddenly feel ‘I won’t belong here’ but I was thriving in this environment,” she said.

The actor, who received both critical acclaim and breakout success with Amazon series Made in Heaven, said she can’t wait to find out what the wedding planner duo, Tara and Karan (played by Arjun Mathur) will do next.

According to Sobhita, the directors and writers have kept the script of the upcoming season two “far away” from all the actors.

“The first season ended at the place where the show could witness many possibilities. I am curious to find out how Karan and Tara became so close, how she is so non-judgemental and what happens to them now? How risk-taking are they going to be? I’m quite curious to find out.”

The actor said the shooting is expected to begin soon. Sobhita on Saturday walked the ramp with a coordinated look in a jacket by Bloni, baggy chocolate brown trousers by SWGT and painted T-shirt by Salita Nanda as a part of ‘The Platform’ program by SmartWater.

Talking about her ensemble, the actor said all three designers are storytellers in their right and they did a great job at it.

“These are three designers who have very distinct aesthetics. When putting together, the garment created is something so eccentric, which is a pleasant surprise. It is also something that I would like to wear,” she added.

"My friend was interning at the Miss India office and asked me to go for an audition. I just wanted to clear one basic round to show it to my friends. 'I'm in this mind space and I can do this, losers'. I cleared the first round and then I wanted to do more. For the first time in my life, I was getting attention. I was very awkward with myself, I was so lame... But Miss India did more damage to my self-esteem. It took me more away from me because you're reduced to someone entertaining, who is pleasing," Sobhita Dhulipala told PTI in an interview.

Sobhita also said she struggled to find her real self as the lure of the Miss India tag kept confusing her. "Earlier, I would never focus on how I looked because I thought I was just 'ok'. So my focus was on being well-read, good in studies, school captain. My personality depended on what I read, not on some magical genetic thing. In Miss India, so much was about how you looked. These are the things I judged as a child. So I felt cornered because I was doing the same things. I didn't feel good in my heart."

Asked she continued being a part of something that made her uncomfortable, the actor said, "I wanted someone to make me feel desired, I thought maybe guys will like me. I was 19, so validation played a huge role in my taking part in Miss India."