'Haale Dil' Star Jenifer Emmanuel Talks Fame & Financial Security In Acting

Jenifer Emmanuel has been winning hearts lately for her portrayal of Dolly in the YouTube drama Haale Dil. Her character as a headstrong, independent woman is now a fan favourite. True to her Instagram bio, “to define is to restrict”, Jenifer’s performances have never been confined to a single line. With her nuanced portrayals in both the Hindi and Telugu industries, she consistently brings authenticity and depth to every role.

In a conversation with SheThePeople, Jenifer shared how she decided to pursue acting. "Acting has always been my first love. As soon as I knew I had to grow up and become something, I knew I wanted to be an actor. Although I was a little secretive about it, the first person I told was my mom," she recounted.

A Successful Tollywood Career

Mumbai-raised Jenifer's journey began in Tollywood, where she debuted with the 2022 film Nachindi Girl Friendu. Despite performing in an unfamiliar language, her memorable character deeply resonated with the Telugu audience. "My dad is Telugu, but I never spoke Telugu until I started to work there," she revealed. Today, Jenifer has five Telugu films under her belt.

Jenifer spoke about the refreshing experience of seeing more women in entertainment; not just as actors, but also in the crew. "The industry is pretty similar everywhere. In the South, the crew used to have very few women on set. But when I started shooting in Chandigarh, there were a lot of women in the crew, so it was a nice little 'girl gang'. Even our focus puller was a woman, Roopam. It was something I hadn't seen before, and I thought it was very cool."

How Social Media Presence Impacts An Actor

Jenifer's social media goes beyond the conventional photoshoots and reels, showcasing her life beyond the set. She emphasised that her roles came through auditions, not her online presence. "You know, there's a lot of hard work involved, and you have to work on your skills. Nowadays, it's all about getting in through social media and stuff. But the core thing is that if you love the craft, you really need to work on it," Jenifer explained.

"A very practical piece of advice I would like to give is that if you aren't from an affluent background, it's best to think of a more stable source of income while you're pursuing acting. Acting is a very unpredictable field. You don't know when your next job is coming or where it's coming from, and how long you can sustain yourself from the last thing you did."

Recalling her own career path, Jenifer shared how her career across the entertainment world has been authentically growing, based on recommendations and auditions. "Even Haale Dil happened because they saw some of my auditions on YouTube. When I wanted to act, this whole social media thing didn't exist. I'm someone who is just focused on the craft and not really good with social media."

How Dolly Broke The Stereotypes

Jenifer’s role as Dolly in Haale Dil challenged the typical daily soap “vamp” stereotype. "In the beginning, I read a comment that said, 'Why is she behaving like the main lead? She is a vamp. Didn't anyone tell her she's a vamp?' I was trying to play a person as real as possible," she expressed.

"I don't believe in the concept of villains unless it's a superhero film."

Jenifer revealed what makes her character stand out from the antagonist archetype. "Dolly had layers; she was kind to her family, successful, and practical. Because she was the sole earning member of the family, she was a little egotistical, but also nurturing and loving. Yes, she was flawed, but a person can’t be defined by just one mistake. As an actor, I had to empathise with her rather than judge her."

Another aspect of typical daily soap has been showing the protagonist wearing sarees and salwar suits, while the antagonists are seen embracing a modern look. Sharing her thoughts on this outlook, Jenifer shared,"I hope that we no longer consider people who wear Western dresses to be all bad. It's a little difficult for me to define this question because what does a [bad] person look like?"

Jenifer's unapologetic performance in the show has struck a chord with women. "After doing the Hindi project, I had a lot more female followers than men," she revealed. "Ever since I did the show, a lot of girls have been messaging me. Earlier, almost 99% of messages used to be from guys."

From Moksha Patam, where she played a domestic violence survivor, to her upcoming role as a cop in Parampadha Sopanam, Jenifer has embraced layered, complex roles. "I hope that typecasting is a thing of the past because it's all about an actor who can portray many different shades." With every performance, Jenifer Emmanuel proves that she is redefining what it means to be a woman on screen.