Shriya Pilgaonkar
Pilgaonkar in 2023
Born
Shriya Sachin Pilgaonkar

(1989-04-25) 25 April 1989 (age 34)[1]
Alma materSt. Xavier's College, Mumbai
Occupations
  • Actress
  • director
  • producer
  • writer
Years active2013–present
Parents

Shriya Pilgaonkar (born 25 April 1989[1]) is an Indian actress, director, producer who primarily works in Hindi films and web shows. Born to actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar, she made her acting debut with the Marathi film Ekulti Ek (2013) for which she won the Best Debut Actress at the Maharashtra State Film Awards.[2]

Post her Hindi film debut with Fan (2016), Pilgaonkar went onto establish herself with successful web series such as Mirzapur (2018), Guilty Minds, The Broken News both (2022) and Taaza Khabar (2023). For Guilty Minds, she received the Best Actress - Drama Series nomination at Filmfare OTT Awards. In addition to this, she has been part of various plays and has also directed few of them.[3]

Early life

Pilgaonkar was born on 25 April 1989 in Mumbai and is the only child of famed actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar. As a child, Pilgaonkar trained to become a professional swimmer and won several medals while in school.[4] Believing that she might become a translator or a linguist when she grew up, Pilgaonkar also took classes in Japanese when she was a child.[4] Later deciding to take a different route, Pilgaonkar completed her bachelor's degree in Sociology at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. Pilgaonkar also learned Kathak as a child.[5]

Career

Early work (2012-2017)

At the age of five, Pilgaonkar first appeared on television in the Hindi serial Tu Tu Main Main, playing a boy named Bittu.[6] Pilgaonkar made her stage debut in 2012 with her performance in Karan Shetty's 10-minute short play Freedom Of Love. The play was a part of the NCPA's Short and Sweet Festival. In the play, she acted, sang, and danced.[7]

Pilgaonkar made her big screen debut with the 2013 Marathi film Ekulti Ek. In the film, she plays the role of Swara. She was offered the role of Swara by her father (Sachin Pilgaonkar) who wrote, directed, and produced the film. Pilgaonkar said, "He has been credited for launching many a talent, including my mother. When he offered me the film, I didn't want a favour. But he corrected me, saying, 'I am not stupid to invest resources without reason'."[4][7] This movie led her to win many awards, including Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress.[7][8][9][10] A critic of The Times of India stated, "It's the perfect launch for his (Sachin Pilgaonkar) daughter Shriya into films and she does not disappoint."[11]

Following her role in Ekulti Ek, she starred in plays, Internal Affairs and Common People.[4] She then worked in the French film Un plus une, helmed by Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch.[7] In the film, she played the role of Ayanna, an Indian dancer, and actor.[7][12]

Pilgaonkar made her Bollywood debut in the 2016 film Fan. Pilgaonkar was selected for her role from the audition of 750 girls conducted by Maneesh Sharma, and she considered getting a role alongside Shah Rukh Khan a big breakthrough.[12] In the film, she plays the role of Neha, a Delhi-based call center girl, and Gaurav's friend.[6][13][14] After the release of Fan, Pilgaonkar was overwhelmed by the response.[6] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama termed her "wonderful".[15]

Breakthrough (2018-2020)

Pilgaonkar played a strong and independent woman Sweety Gupta opposite Ali Fazal, in the series Mirzapur. Saraswati Datar of The News Minute noted, "Shriya as Sweety put in a great performance, but her role is woefully underwritten and unidimensional."[16] The series was a massive success, and became a breakthrough for her, however she later confirmed that her character wouldn't be returning after the first season.[17] In 2019, she did the film House Arrest with Fazal.[18]

In 2020, she first played Nimmo alongside Sunny Kaushal in Bhangra Paa Le, which received negative reviews. In the same year, she played a social media influencer, Suhani in the first season of The Gone Game and a RAW agent Divya in Crackdown.[19] She received positive response for both the series, and India Today stated that she "impresses" as Divya aka Mariam.[20] Her only work in 2021, was the bilingual film Kaadan.[21]

Career progression (2022-present)

Pilgaonkar at The Broken News trailer launch

Pilgaonkar had four web releases in 2022. She first played Advocate Kashaf in Guilty Minds, alongside Varun Mitra, which won her critical acclaim.[22] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV stated, "Shriya Pilgaonkar is mesmerising as the honest-to-a-fault advocate."[23] She then appeared in the second season of The Gone Game and hosted the web reality show, The Great Indian Bride. In her final role of the year, she played an investigative journalist Radha in The Broken News.[24] Namrata Thakker from Rediff.com noted, "Shriya Pilgaonkar as Radha steals the show as the fiery, righteous journalist. She has flaws despite being a ethical journalist and that makes her character more humane."[25]

In 2023, Pilgaonkar first played the titular role in the short film, Sita. She then played a sex worker Madhubala in Taaza Khabar, with Bhuvan Bam.[26] Manik Sharma of Firstpost termed her "consistently good" and added that she played the role with "confidence". For this, she won the ITA Award for Best Actress Comedy - OTT.[27] Pilgaonkar later played an independent pregnant woman Siya alongside Mrinal Dutt and Suhail Nayyar in the film Ishq-e-Nadaan.[28] In her final work of the year, she played an outspoken wife Nirmala, in Dry Day opposite Jitendra Kumar.[29] Rahul Desai from Film Companion said, "Shriya Pilgaonkar is underutilised in a narrative that’s driven by her character’s tenacity."[30]

Pilgaonkar will next appear in Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai.

Other work and media image

Pilgaonkar in 2018

Filmfare's Tanisha Bhattacharya noted, "Pilagonkar's performances in shows from diverse genres have raised the bar of what she has to offer as a gifted artist."[31] Udita Jhunjhunwala of Scroll.in stated, "Shriya has evolved into one of the most dependable actors in web series."[32] Pilgaonkar was placed at the 40th position in Times's 50 Most Desirable Women List of 2020.[33] Pilgaonkar has modeled and is also known in the advertisement world. She has worked with celebrities such as Shahid Kapoor and Vikrant Massey, in advertisements.[34] She has been a celebrity endorser of brands such as Rin, Vivel and Mom's Magic, with her mother Supriya Pilgaonkar.[35][36]

In addition to being an actress, Pilgaonkar is also a director and a producer of short films. In 2012, she went to Harvard University for summer school, which led her to work on her own short films.[12] In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, she said, "Once I felt confident, I directed Painted Signal, a short film, and Panchgavya",[4] a documentary which she co-directed with Hana Kitasei. It examines the plight of cows as they wander around Bikaner in Rajasthan.[37] She also co-directed and edited the short film Dresswala with Siddharth Joglekar, which was an official selection at the 2012 Mumbai Film Festival.[38] Both Painted Signal and Dresswala received average responses from critics and were screened at international film festivals.[12]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes films / dramas that are not yet released

Films

Year Title Role Language Notes Ref.
2013 Ekulti Ek Swara Deshpande Marathi [39]
2015 Un plus une Ayanna French Screened at 2015 Toronto International Film Festival [40]
2016 Fan Neha Singh Hindi [41]
2017 Jai Mata Di Anu Short film
2019 House Arrest Saira [42]
2020 Bhangra Paa Le Nimmo [43]
2021 Kaadan Arundhati Trilingual (Hindi, Telugu and Tamil) [44]
2023 Sita Sita Hindi Short film [45]
Ishq-e-Nadaan Siya [46]
Dry Day Nirmala [47]
TBA Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai† TBA Completed [48]

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2018 13 Mussoorie Aditi Bisht
Mirzapur Swaragini "Sweety" Gupta Season 1 [49]
2020 Murder in Agonda Sarla Salelkar [50]
Crackdown Divya Shirodkar / Mariam [51]
2020-2022 The Gone Game Suhani Gujral 2 seasons [52]
2022 Guilty Minds Kashaf Quaze [53]
The Broken News Radha Bhargava [54]
The Great Indian Bride Host [55]
2023 Taaza Khabar Madhubala "Madhu" [56]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1994 Tu Tu Main Main Bittu [57]
2015 Stupid Cupid Ishanvi
2017 Crime Patrol Un­known Various episodes
2019 Beecham House Chanchal British television series [58]

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1996 Freedom Of Love — [12]
2012 The Painted Signal Director and producer Short film [12]
2013 Dresswala [12]
2014 Internal Affairs Rhea
Common People Maya [4]
2015 Panchgavya Director, producer and writer Documentary film [37]
2016 Bombay Dying —

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 Maharashtra State Film Awards Best Debut Actress Ekulti Ek Won [59]
Maharashtracha Favourite Kon? Favourite Actress Nominated [60]
2022 Filmfare OTT Awards Best Actress in a Drama Series Guilty Minds Nominated [61]
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Best Actress in a Series Nominated [62]
The Broken News Nominated
2023 Filmfare OTT Awards Best Supporting Actress - Web Original Film Ishq-e-Nadaan Nominated [63]
Indian Television Academy Awards Best Actress - Comedy (OTT) Taaza Khabar Won [64]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Shriya Pilgaonkar Celebrates Her 34th Birthday With Family And Friends, See Pics". News18 India. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  2. ^ "RELATIVE VALUE: THE THREE 'BESTIES'". Mumbai Mirror. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Exclusive - Shriya Pilgaonkar's top 6 iconic performances!". Mid Day. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "ALMOST FAMOUS". Mumbai Mirror. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Making an impact". The Hindu. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Reaction to my performance in 'Fan' overwhelming: Shriya Pilgaonkar". The Indian Express. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e "It is more difficult to make an impact in a short role". The Hindu. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Sachin Pilgaonkar's daughter to debut in dad's directorial". Zee News. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  9. ^ "Shriya bags Most Promising Newcomer award". The Times of India. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Winners at the 51st Maharashtra State Awards". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Ekulti Ek Movie Review". The Times of India. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "EXclusive - Watch Out for Fan Actress Shriya Pilgaonkar!". Verve India. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  13. ^ "Sachin Pilgaonkar's daughter to make her Bollywood debut in SRK's Fan?". India Today. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Fan'". The Indian Express. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  15. ^ Adarsh, Taran (15 April 2016). "Fan Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  16. ^ Saraswati Datar (19 November 2018), "'Mirzapur' review: This Amazon Prime original gets you interested but leaves you wanting", The News Minute. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  17. ^ Debnath, Neela (19 November 2020). "Mirzapur cast: Why did Shriya Pilgaonkar leave Mirzapur as Sweety Gupta?". Daily Express. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  18. ^ "House Arrest: Netflix to premiere Ali Fazal, Shriya Pilgaonkar's upcoming comedy on 15 November". Firstpost. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  19. ^ "The Gone Game review: Voot's shot-during-lockdown thriller is an effective experiment". Hindustan Times. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  20. ^ Keshri, Shweta (23 September 2020). "Crackdown Review: Apoorva Lakhia packs a punch with debut web series". India Today. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Kaadan movie review: Rana Daggubati's film does a disservice to noble story". Hindustan Times. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Guilty Minds trailer: Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra promise an intriguing legal drama". The Indian Express. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  23. ^ "Guilty Minds Review: Shriya Pilgaonkar Is Mesmerising In A Legal Series With A Mellow Sense Of Drama". NDTV. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  24. ^ "The Broken News trailer: Sonali Bendre, Jaideep Ahlawat fight the war between news and stories". The Indian Express. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  25. ^ THAKKER, NAMRATA. "The Broken News Review". Rediff. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  26. ^ Khurana, Archika (6 January 2023). "Taaza Khabar Season 1 Review: Bhuvan Bam and Shriya Pilgaokar's balanced performances elevate this predictable dramedy". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Taaza Khabar review: Bhuvan Bam's series take the predictable road and is lesser for it". Firstpost. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar completes the shoot of Ishq-e-Nadaan". The Tribune. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  29. ^ "'Dry Day' trailer: Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar in comedy about alcoholism". Scroll.in. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  30. ^ "Dry Day Review: A Flat and Confused Social Satire". Film Companion. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  31. ^ "It is very important to surprise people with my capability: OTT sensation Shriya Pilgaonkar". Filmfare. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  32. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar: There's no big or small role but the depth you bring to the part". Scroll.in. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  33. ^ "Exclusive: Meet The Times 50 Most Desirable Women of 2020". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  34. ^ "Meet Shriya Pilgaonkar, the Girl Who Made Her Debut in 'Fan' Opposite Shah Rukh Khan". News18 India. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  35. ^ "Watch Amitabh Bachchan's stirring, empowering message for women with Vivel". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  36. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar pays tribute to her mother Supriya on Women's Day: Proud to have her as my role model". Indian Express. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  37. ^ a b Uday Bhatia (25 April 2015). "Sinners and superstars". Live Mint. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  38. ^ Ashwin, K. "14th Mumbai Film Festival Supports Local Talent". IndianShowBiz.com. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  39. ^ Khandelwal, Heena (11 November 2019). "I end up associating my character with a song: Shriya Pilgaonkar". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  40. ^ "Toronto to open with 'Demolition'; world premieres for 'Trumbo', 'The Program'". ScreenDaily. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  41. ^ ""I wasn't nervous working with Shah Rukh Khan" – Shriya Pilgaonkar". Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  42. ^ "House Arrest: Netflix to premiere Ali Fazal, Shriya Pilgaonkar's upcoming comedy on 15 November". Firstpost. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  43. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (19 January 2019). "BREAKING: Sneha Taurani's directorial debut to star Sunny Kaushal, Rukhsar Dhillon and Shriya Pilgaonkar". Bollywood Hungama.
  44. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar on bagging Haathi Mere Saathi: Its subject is something I feel strongly about". The Indian Express. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  45. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar mesmerises in the poster of her new short film 'Sita'". Mid Day. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  46. ^ "'Ishq-E-Nadaan' starring Mohit Raina, Lara Dutta, Neena Gupta, Shriya Pilgaonkar wraps up shoot". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  47. ^ "Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar's 'Dry Day' to premiere on Prime Video on this date". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  48. ^ "Meet the cast of Anubhav Sinha's next film Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai". The Indian Express. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  49. ^ Sheth, Hemani (17 July 2020). "'Mirzapur' most searched web series, followed by 'Sacred Games': Report". @businessline. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  50. ^ "This is why you should watch Shriya Pilgaonkar starrer thriller 'Murder In Agonda'". Lehren. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  51. ^ "VIDEO: Shriya Pilgaonkar opens up on webseries Crackdown". indiatvnews.com. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  52. ^ "The Gone Game web series review: A whodunit that keeps you hooked till the end". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  53. ^ "Guilty Minds review: All-desi, hugely entertaining and thought-provoking". The Indian Express. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  54. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar opens up about working with Sonali Bendre in 'Broken News'". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  55. ^ "Rivaah by Tanishq joins hands with Disney+ Hotstar for its show, The Great Indian Bride". The Print. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  56. ^ "Taaza Khabar Review: Bhuvan Bam And Shriya Pilgaonkar's Series Is A Desultory Affair". NDTV.com. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  57. ^ "Shriya Pilgaonkar: Did you know the Crackdown actress acted in 90s TV show Tu Tu Main Main?". Mid Day. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  58. ^ Clarke, Stewart (20 March 2018). "ITV Orders Period Drama 'Beecham House' From 'Bend It Like Beckham' Director Gurinder Chadha". Variety. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  59. ^ "It is more difficult to make an impact in a short role". The Hindu. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  60. ^ "Supriya Pilgaonkar during Maharashtracha Favourite Kon Awards 2013, held at Grand Hyatt, in Mumbai, on December 1, 2013". photogallery.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  61. ^ "Nominations announced for Danube Properties Filmfare OTT Awards 2022". Filmfare. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  62. ^ "Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Awards 2022: Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shah and Vaani Kapoor win big, 83 best film". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  63. ^ "Filmfare OTT Awards 2023 Nominations". Filmfare. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  64. ^ "ITA Awards 2023: Tejasswi Prakash, Harshad Chopda win big; Hrithik Roshan dances to 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 December 2023.

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