Sonia was born and brought up in Hyderabad, Telangana. After finishing her studies with a degree in computer applications, she worked as a software engineer in an IT company for three years, before stepping into acting. At an event, she was spotted by Sekhar Kammula, who gave her an acting offer, after seeing her performance in an audition. Accepting the offer, she made her acting debut in the 2007 Telugu film Happy Days, enacting the role of Shravs. The film, upon release, became a blockbuster and won six awards at the 2008 Filmfare Awards South, one of which was the Award for Best Supporting Actress for Sonia for her performance that won her critical acclaim.