From social media to a lunch date: How Instagram played matchmaker for Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala

Actor Naga Chaitanya Akkineni and actress Sobhita Dhulipala may have shared a career in films and a common language, but their worlds were quite different. He grew up in Chennai and lived in Hyderabad, while she was raised in Visakhapatnam and based in Mumbai. However, it was Instagram that played cupid for them and all it took was one follow-back that changed everything.

In an interview with Vogue, Sobhita Dhulipala revealed that she discovered it unexpectedly during an “Ask Me Anything” session on Instagram. While scrolling through questions, she noticed one asking, “Why aren’t you following Chay Akkineni?” Curious, she checked his profile and realized that among the 70 people he followed, she was one of them. “I was a tiny bit flattered,” she admitted, and she followed him back.

Soon, Akkineni’s updates began appearing on her feed, and one thing caught her eye—his love for sushi. He frequently shared posts about it, which wasn’t surprising since he co-owned a pan-Asian cloud kitchen called Shoyu. Their conversation started with a few messages, and before they knew it, Akkineni booked a flight to Mumbai in April 2022 to take Dhulipala out for lunch.

Naga Chaitanya’s culinary venture

Beyond films, Akkineni has also stepped into the food business. He launched Shoyu, a cloud kitchen specializing in pan-Asian cuisine, bringing flavours from Japan, China, and Southeast Asia to Hyderabad. The menu features a variety of dishes, including dim sums, sushi, nigiris, baos, noodles, and rice.

About Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala’s wedding

Chaitanya and Sobhita tied the knot on December 4 in a beautiful traditional Telugu wedding. The ceremony took place at the iconic Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, with close family and friends in attendance. The wedding was a grand celebration of Telugu customs, with rituals performed under the guidance of elders. The joyous occasion was filled with love, laughter, and heartfelt blessings from their loved ones, making it a truly memorable event.

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala work

Naga Chaitanya recently delivered a hit with Thandel directed by Chandoo Mondeti. It also starred Sai Pallavi, Prakash Belawadi, Aadukalam Naren, Divya Pillai, Karunakaran, Kalpa Latha and Charandeep. The story follows a fisherman named Raju, who shares a deep love with Satya. However, their relationship is tested when Satya pleads with him to give up fishing and find a safer job. Raju refuses to abandon his life at sea and sets out on another voyage. Tragically, he unknowingly drifts into Pakistani waters, where he is captured and imprisoned. What follows is an emotional journey of love, struggle, and resilience as Raju and Satya fight against all odds to reunite. Meanwhile, Sobhita Dhulipala was last seen in Vandana Kataria’s Love, Sitara. The film explores the intricacies of modern relationships, the struggles within dysfunctional families, and the courage needed to confront uncomfortable truths.