For actor Sobhita Dhulipala, her debut Hollywood film Monkey Man has been a “roller coaster”. “My character has got a very distinct texture that’s unlike anything I’ve seen. It left me feeling inspired and even more in love with cinema. The action, the music, the style and the raw emotion. It’s going to be a sensory feast,” she says.

The film also stars Dev Patel and Sikandar Kher, and Dhulipala lauds Patel, who has directed the revenge drama. “He truly has exceptional taste in all things cinema. That, coupled with his enormous patience and passion to give his best in every department, is pretty phenomenal,” says the actor.

Having made strides with films such as Ponniyin Selvan I and II, Kurup (2021) and Major (2022), was Hollywood a natural progression? “I am entirely focussed on telling exciting stories, language and medium no bar. I draw motivation from my ability to submit to my instincts,” she says, adding that playing pivotal roles in the OTT series The Night Manager and Made in Heaven “upped my desire to embrace versatility as an actor”.