Dolly Singh is flipping the influencer-to-actor script proving she’s more than just an internet icon

If you’re someone who is chronically online, you already know who Dolly Singh is. Alongside Kusha Kapila and Komal Pandey, Singh used to be the blueprint for influencers across the country. We have seen her bring several characters, including Raju Ki Mummy and South Delhi Girl, to life before she went on to star in movies like Double XL (2022) and Thank You for Coming (2023). While Singh admits to cringing at some of her earlier work, she also acknowledges the fact that she has come a long way in learning the craft of acting. Today, she’s ready to take on better roles in Bollywood, a space she describes as “a completely different ball game.”

When we had this chat over a phone call, Singh had just been named one of only—and let us emphasise—25 content creators to win the inaugural Instagram Rings award. Beauty creator Golloria, comedian and screenwriter Zarna Garg, and American skateboarder Tyshawn Jones were also among the award recipients, which is a recognition of those who are pushing creative boundaries in their respective areas. While she couldn’t be there in person to receive the award in New York City, for Singh, it is the biggest validation she could have ever received. But with it comes responsibilities, and she is quick to point that out: “I want to take this win with all the pride and love,” she says, “But the overthinker in me keeps going, ‘Oh my God, what will I do next?’ There are going to be so many eyeballs on me. People will question if I even deserve it.”  A recovering people pleaser, Singh has always wondered what others will think of her. Growing up in Nainital, Uttarakhand, she was a self-proclaimed “weird kid” who was always performing for an audience.

“There were many facets to me,” she recalls, “I was shy at home, but the minute I stepped out, I would be a completely different person. Everyone knew a different version of me.” Very Libra of her, some might say, but Singh likes to keep the peace and make everyone happy in the room (hardly a crime, she would argue). Even so, she never minces her words. “I like to speak my mind even when I have a different opinion than everyone else in the room,” she adds. Singh moved to Delhi to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kirori Mal College, much to her father’s disapproval. After graduation, though, she felt lost and decided to take a gap year before enrolling in a Master’s in Fashion Management at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi.

“To be at NIFT was incredible because it’s a cultural and fashion hub,” says Singh, “But I soon realised that the course was not for me.” Singh gravitated towards styling, which was frowned upon by her professors. “They would be like, ‘We don’t teach you this’. But I knew by that age that whatever I  do now will define my life, and it doesn’t matter if the professors are unhappy about it.” Before becoming a full-time content creator, Singh was working a day job after grad school, where she was styling, writing, and producing video content for a digital media company. “It was when I saw the money that I decided to quit my 9-to-5,” she admits with a laugh. “A few of us were getting recognised, and our names were being thrown in. I saw brands showing interest, and I could see the opportunity in this industry.” In hindsight, Singh realises, it was all worth the risk.

In her showing era

An Emma Watson fan through and through, Singh remembers the actor’s idea of being in the “sowing phase” of life, wherein you plant seeds and wait for them to bloom. She believes that’s exactly where she’s at, too, where she is working hard and trusting the process. While therapy has helped quiet the noise of imposter syndrome, she owns up to it still stinging when people unfollow or stop engaging. “My first reaction is heartbreak, but I come around,” she beams. In an online world that often feels dystopian, Singh simply wants her content to make people think and get them out of their constant doomscrolling a little bit.

No matter how you do the math, Singh is the entertainer she has always been. Her passion project, Dollywood Filums, a film production house, was born out of her love for storytelling with a hell lot of nostalgia and a generous dose of feminism. What began with Covid Love Story, a lockdown-era microdrama, has evolved into Best Worst Date, a fan-favourite romcom now in its third season. As an actor, producer, writer, and director, Singh wears many hats, but she’s ready to step behind the camera and focus on solely directing short films and a full show. “Hopefully, I’ll send a film to festivals soon,” she says with a grin.

This article first appeared in Cosmopolitan India's November-December 2025 print edition.

Photographer: Sagar Nagpal; Photography assistant: Jatin Hisaria; Makeup Artist: Bina Chauhan; Hair Stylist: Jayashri 

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