Ready to take her bilingual movie Moothon to Toronto film festival, Sobhita Dhulipala on backing content-driven cinema
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 17, 2019)

It's turning out to be a good year for Sobhita Dhulipala — if she started 2019 with the widely acclaimed web series, Made In India, her latest cinematic endeavour too is a source of pride. Moothon — which also stars Malayalam star Nivin Pauly — will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11.

“The film is part of the special section at TIFF. When I first read the script many years ago, I was blown by it. Now, I am glad that it is getting its due. I am looking forward to showing this film to people at the festival, interacting with the international press and movie aficionados,” says the actor of the Geetu Mohandas-directed venture that revolves around a young child in search of his elder brother.

The bilingual drama (Hindi and Malayalam) has also been selected as the opening film of Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) 2019. Anurag Kashyap, a co-producer on the project, is working on the Hindi dialogues, hoping to meet the October deadline. Stating that the movie beautifully flits from being a crime thriller to a surreal fantasy, Dhulipala adds, “The script is a winner at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, so the story is credible. These movies deserve a variety of audience and not just a remote release in Kerala.”

Does she feel like a crossover star considering she juggles web series with films across diverse languages? “I am a Vishakapatnam girl who has come to Mumbai. I have learnt Hindi to belong here. Today, we are mix of influences as there is greater inclusivity. The idea of a crossover star is dated. I am neither crossover nor a star yet,” she smiles.