Struggle for survival is same be it star kids or outsiders: Dipannita

Renowned model and actress Dipannita Sharma’s academic inclination, especially her background in History, is reflected in the depth and clarity of her responses. In this email interview, she speaks with thoughtfulness and detail, drawing from her personal journey, family influences, profession, and life lessons.

Her answers feel reflective and grounded. They come from observation, experience, and a constant process of learning.

Dipannita comes across as a perceptive learner who has absorbed lessons from her grandmother, parents, career, and life, and applied them meaningfully throughout her journey. The conversation unfolds like a collection of knowledge capsules that are both engaging and insightful.

Her entry into modelling, she says, was not sudden but a gradual transition that began during her college years. In her second year, she joined the fashion show team and first considered modelling as a serious path. However, she chose to complete her graduation in History, in line with her parents’ advice.

Her parents believed she should finish what she had started before moving to a new direction. After her final exams, she created her portfolio, having already won a free shoot at an intercollege fashion event. From there, assignments slowly began to come in.

At the time, she was still unsure whether modelling would become a full-time profession. She even explored other academic options, including a Master’s in History and a course in advertising. A French language course also followed.

With time, work increased and clarity emerged. What began as curiosity gradually turned into a profession.

Her parents, she recalls, were initially cautious but always supportive. She and her sister were raised in a home that encouraged individuality and freedom of choice. Her father is a doctor and her mother a teacher, so the idea of modelling was unfamiliar to them at first.

However, they never restricted her interests. She grew up exploring dramatics, dance, singing, swimming, and tennis, without pressure to constantly excel. That balanced upbringing made her transition into modelling feel natural rather than abrupt.

There were concerns too, given the uncertainties of the glamour world and social perceptions around it. But her father supported her firmly, saying that everyone should have the freedom to pursue their dreams and that he himself succeeded by following his heart. Her mother’s advice was simple but lasting — stay focused and remain responsible in every aspect of life. She still follows that guidance.

When it comes to the larger industry, Dipannita draws a clear distinction between modelling and films. She believes modelling and fashion remain more open to fresh talent because they thrive on creativity and new perspectives. In her view, the industry naturally welcomes people from diverse backgrounds.

She contrasts this with cinema, where conversations around favouritism and star kids are more frequent. However, she also offers balance. She believes children from film families do have access to connections, but that reality exists in many professions. For her, the real test always begins after the first opportunity, when everyone must prove themselves on merit.

She acknowledges that outsiders may find it harder to get that initial break, but she also believes every career has its own challenges. She consciously chose a path without industry connections, fully aware of its difficulty. For her, it is important to focus on choices and effort rather than limitations.

At the same time, she strongly supports keeping systems open and ensuring equal opportunity for fresh talent.

Her creative foundation, she says, was shaped long before modelling or films entered her life. As a child, she was exposed to theatre at home through plays written by her grandmother and mother. Her grandmother, whom she calls “Aita,” wrote short skits that were mostly light-hearted but often carried a message.

These plays were unique in structure. They allowed gender-neutral casting, where boys sometimes played girls and girls played boys. Most performances featured children in adult roles, which made them imaginative and expressive.

Her grandmother primarily wrote in Assamese, while her mother contributed ideas and support. For Dipannita, these early experiences remain some of the most cherished memories of her childhood and her first exposure to performance and storytelling.

She believes the real seeds of her artistic journey were planted by her grandmother. “Aita,” she says, was highly educated, self-taught, and self-reliant. After losing her husband early, she raised seven children on her own and was known as an “Iron Lady” in her community.

But her influence, Dipannita explains, came not from direct teaching but from example. Through her life, she passed on values of discipline, perseverance, and continuous self-growth. These values moved to her mother and then to her and her sister.

The most important lesson she carries from them is simple — there is no age limit to learning or reinvention.

That philosophy, she says, continues to guide her personal and professional journey.

Her approach to work reflects the same clarity. Dipannita is selective about the roles she takes. She chooses only those that feel organic and meaningful. If a setup feels uncomfortable, she steps away without hesitation.

For her, creative satisfaction and personal comfort go hand in hand. She also believes in staying less visible, as it helps maintain freshness and allows her to reinvent herself with each role.

Her guiding principle is simple — the project must feel right both creatively and ethically. She is particularly careful about avoiding roles that objectify women. While she acknowledges glamour as part of the profession, she believes it must always serve a context.

She also points out that films often portray women in stereotypical ways, which she resists. But she admits that real change requires collective effort, not individual resistance alone.

Outside work, her life remains grounded. Assam, she says, will always remain special as her birthplace and first home, marked by simplicity and emotional depth. Delhi played a formative role in her journey, introducing her to modelling during her college years at Indraprastha College for Women. Mumbai, on the other hand, is her karmbhoomi — the city that shaped her independence and identity.

The Covid-19 period became a phase of reflection and introspection. It gave her time to slow down, think, and reconnect with people across cities and countries. Conversations became deeper, and family time more meaningful. She describes it as a therapeutic phase that included reading and self-reflection.

She was also among the early actors to explore OTT platforms. Then, she began with Bewafaa Sii Wafaa on ALTBalaji and won the Best Supporting Actor Female award at the IWM Digital Awards. Later, she appeared in Untag and the ZEE5 film Raat Baaki Hai.

When she is not working, she says she does not “breathe glamour.” Her life is simple and disciplined. She enjoys long hours of sleep, practices Hindustani classical singing, and stays connected to music.

She also watches horror and thriller content and took up baking and Bachata dance during the lockdown. Dance, she says, remains a long-standing passion.

Her dreams, she shares, are often vivid but fleeting. Travel appears frequently in them. She describes herself as a “traveller forever,” and shares a deep love for beaches with her husband. Calm waters and quiet destinations often find their way into her imagination.

From the beginning of her career, she has stayed away from party culture and networking as a strategy. She believes work comes through performance, not visibility. She maintains a clear separation between her professional and personal life and prefers socialising only on her own terms with family and close friends.

Looking ahead, she features in the short film Saving Chintu, which several Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying festivals have selected. The film explores adoption and LGBTQ themes, and she considers it special for its humane storytelling.