Dolly Ahluwalia, who is seen as Nani in Ravie Dubey and Sargun Mehta’s new series, Lovely Lolla, which is produced under their banner Dreamiyata Dramaa, has won National Film Awards under the Best Costume Design category for Bandit Queen and Haider and Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Donor. Over the last few years, she has taken a sabbatical from designing. Being a cancer survivor, she says now time and her age don’t permit her to go back to her first baby, which is designing.
She said, “I am in love with costume. I started focusing more on designing as it helped me with my creative appetite.” It was while exploring costume designing that she realized that she was able to relive all those characters that she was designing the costumes for. She added, “My need for acting was being fulfilled.”
She further said, “I am a cancer survivor, and I had to step back on my costume designing due to health reasons; I couldn’t give it so much time. I’ve been very content with my costume work, but now the satisfaction is coming to me through my acting. I’m able to give space of knowing myself, my existence in this world, things around me, and my work. So, there’s a balance.” Her journey of battling cancer has been transformative, allowing her to focus on self-discovery and creating a harmonious balance between her personal and professional life. Asked if she is completely cured of cancer, she said that she is in a safe place. Would you like to start designing again? “I am still being approached for costume designing, but I can’t give it so much time now,” Dolly concluded with a smile, emphasizing that her current joy comes from acting, which allows her to connect deeply with her work and her audience.
