India, Feb. 1 -- Actor Sobhita Dhulipala, who married actor Naga Chaitanya in December 2024, says that her professional path remains firmly independent of her marital ties to one of Telugu cinema's most influential film families. After stepping away from work for over a year, Sobhita returned with the recent Telugu film Cheekatilo, saying that the break helped her recalibrate amid heightened public attention. "It's only been a year since I've been married and my whole career, all of my work has come from my independent journey," she says, adding that while she is now part of a legacy film family, she does not view them through an industry lens. "I see them as family, not as the industry. My work has been very separate," she shares. Reflecting on her early career, the 33-year-old notes that her choices have largely existed outside the mainstream. The actor says, "My journey started with auditions and projects that were counterculture. I've always sought belief in my own self rather than support systems." Now based in Hyderabad post-wedding, Sobhita says that she has gained greater clarity about the work she wants to pursue: "I'm interested in characters with agency, women who make decisions that have consequences. Whether they're likeable or unlikable, they need to matter to the story. That gravitas is what I'm looking for now."...