Dolly, who rose to fame as a content creator, made her Bollywood debut with Bhaag Beanie Bhaag in 2020. She recalls being insecure despite her love for being on screen. “Acting was something I've always manifested since childhood. I loved watching TV and wanted to be inside that box, I was jealous of all the child actors I would see around in shows like Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Just Mohabbat, and Disney shows, but I was also an insecure, underconfident kid. At that time the industry thinking was the heroine had to look a certain way, conventionally extremely beautiful. But nobody wants to play supporting characters in their dreams. I grew up in a realistic way aware of what I could and couldn't do. I thought people would make extra fun of me,” says Dolly.
When asked if her journey from being an influencer to now doing projects as an actor was a smooth ride, Dolly asserts, “My transition has been easier than if I was not an influencer trying to act because you make contacts in the industry, know how to get an audition, might work a lot swifter, that's honestly it. In the beginning, it helps because you already know some people from the same circle which might be hard when you're not someone with a big following. This stage makes it easy but most of us are self-made, so we've put that struggle elsewhere, trying to build that empire on our social media. There's also the fear of being stereotyped which has happened, like I've played so many best friend roles, blink and miss, and to be able to move away from that has been my action plan. Thank You For Coming was my opportunity to do a significant role, has an arc, and a lot of character depth.”
Earlier this year, Dolly walked the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Needless to say, she drew flak for the same. On the criticism she encountered, Dolly maintains, “I'm aware of the arguments that were there and honestly I agree with them. The fact that film people should be more on that stage rather than influencers, and as someone who loves looking out for good cinema, I agree. The blame was valid but it was on the wrong people. I don't think influencers in general are the problem, it is the fact that the audiences today are more interested in who is wearing what on the red carpet rather than which movie is being screened. Of course, brands are going to capitalise on that.”
Dolly believes that representation matters and when other girls see her they feel more confident and don’t belittle themselves as less beautiful. Stating what she would tell her younger self, Dolly concluded, “Pretending becomes difficult after a point. I was extremely hard on myself growing up. I was in a zone where I would just keep calling myself ugly and not enjoy my physical body, and say bad things to myself. I would like to go back in time and tell her that it's okay, take a break, it's fine, there's nothing really bad about you. This is what people have made you believe.”
