Dolly Singh On Her Cannes Debut: Proud Of Where I Come From, Grateful For Where I Am Headed

Dolly Singh, one of the most famous social media influencers, has around 1.6 million followers on Instagram. Not just being a fashion enthusiast, she has even starred in a few web series and movies like ‘Modern Love: Mumbai’, ‘Double XL’, and ‘Butterflies’. 

However, she took her achievements a step ahead when she recently made her Cannes debut on day 4 of the 2023 Film Festival. As for her look, she wore a pristine white ensemble by designer duo, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. Her ensemble featured a pearl and stone conical bralette paired with a draped sarong skirt, embellished with pearl strings. Her look was completed with a ruffle coat, adorned with a cascading trail of pearls in varied sizes. To say the least, she looked dreamy and graceful. 

Now post her Cannes debut, she got into a conversation with Outlook’s Gurpreet Kaur and talked about her red carpet appearance and her journey so far. Excerpts from the interview:

You finally made your debut at Cannes. What was your exact reaction when you were finalised for it? 

My exact reaction was quite dramatic. My team knew that if they told me from the beginning, I would think about it too much. So they did not tell me initially, I had a hint though that they were trying for it. The day it happened, I got a call in the night and they proceeded to bluff and tell me about some bad news. Obviously, I was more stressed out. But soon, they revealed and I was screaming and shouting. My friends and we all celebrated that night. I never believed it would happen. 

Coming from a humble background to now Cannes, how do you describe your journey?

It is pretty unbelievable from where I come from to go to Cannes. I personally never thought in my wildest dreams that this would happen or this is the level I could reach in my life. Also, coming from a humble background and being a woman, you limit yourself so much that you hold back your dreams, or dream small or you think you might have to compromise. That’s what you think. I don’t do that anymore but I did so as a child, and now going to Cannes, it is mind-boggling. I am so proud of where I come from and I am super grateful. 

Also, Cannes is known for both the films and the fashion. Being a content creator, what was your main focus at the event?

I think as a content creator, it is a global opportunity and a platform I have never witnessed before. Being a fashion girl, I was waiting for my red carpet moment. I was extremely nervous because you get very little time to do everything. Also, meeting a lot of other content creators, networking. I am also a film enthusiast and I love watching cinema from across the globe, so attending a festival like Cannes is an honour in itself. 

You are well-known for your work on the OTT series ‘Modern Love: Mumbai’, ‘Double XL’, and ‘Butterflies’. Are you looking to venture full-fledged in showbiz?

I mean I would definitely hope so. Acting is something I always wanted to do. But as a kid, you don’t attach those dreams to yourself. Now that I can explore such opportunities, I am thoroughly enjoying acting as much as I have been able to do so far. I still would take that anyday because the feeling of being on set is out of this world. I would love to pursue acting more. I do have a mainstream Bollywood role in the pipeline and I am looking forward to it. We are announcing it in June. I am interested in writing too. In general, cinema is somewhere my heart belongs. 

Lastly, what advice would you give to young girls who want to make a career like you?

Not to hold yourself back, not to dream small because you think bigger things would not happen. That’s what I would tell every young girl, and for content creation, this is the best time to be one.