Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya Akkineni’s priorities have changed since they got married

Before Sobhita Dhulipala and Naga Chaitanya Akkineni exchanged vows in December last year, they hadn’t discussed how they would achieve work-life balance. After all, they were embarking on a new chapter together, one that they both hoped would be filled with love, adventure, travel and joy. The rest was all confetti. Turns out, that conversation wasn’t necessary. Balancing their schedules has never been a problem for the couple, as Dhulipala explains when we speak over Zoom—he’s at home in Hyderabad, she’s shooting for an upcoming film in Chennai. “In Mumbai, my schedule was always chock-a-block. I had so many dreams when I started out at 21, and I was able to tick a lot of those boxes,” Dhulipala reflects. But the past couple of years have been a watershed. With six releases in the past two years—including Ponniyin Selvan II (2023), The Night Manager (2023) and her Hollywood debut Monkey Man (2024)—she found herself drained. “I’ve taken a step back to reassess my choices,” she says.

Above, on Sobhita: Crinkled ombré camisole, DIVYAM MEHTA. ‘Bonded Faux Leather Wrap Skirt’, MIUNIKU. Transparent acrylic bangles, SIMRAN CHHABRA. On Chaitanya: Grey textured suit, KHANIJO. Striped waistcoat, PÉRO. Photographed by Nishanth Radhakrishnan. Styled by Daniel Franklin

Akkineni, who was last seen in Thandel this February, has followed suit, carving out pockets of time between juggling his film schedule, his pan-Asian food venture, Shoyu, and his motor-racing team, Hyderabad Blackbirds. Apparently, one adrenaline-fuelled career wasn’t enough for this thrill-seeking Sagittarian. “But my priorities changed after I got married. Now, nothing matters more than home and family,” he says. It’s ironic, then, that at this very moment, they’re separated by 600 kilometres, a Zoom window and the classic struggle of syncing their calendars, let alone their conversations. “I resumed shooting a little before our wedding,” Dhulipala clarifies, “but now, when I make decisions, there’s definitely greater clarity, a stronger sense of grounding. I’m in a different chapter of my career.”