Shriya Pilgaonkar Bio, Family, Career, Movies, Net Worth and More

Shriya Pilgaonkar is one of the most versatile artists to emerge from India’s new wave of cinema and streaming. An actor, stage performer, and filmmaker, she has balanced mainstream projects with character-driven stories

Many viewers first discovered her as Sweety Gupta in Mirzapur, while others know her as advocate Kashaf Quaze in Guilty Minds, or as the firebrand journalist Radha Bhargava in The Broken News.

She also made an early splash in Hindi films with Fan (2016) alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Off screen, Shriya has directed and produced short films, and she speaks often about the craft of storytelling and the value of building range as a performer.

Born into a family of celebrated actors Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya Pilgaonkar Shriya grew up around sets, scripts, and rehearsals. But her path has been distinctly her own.

She studied sociology, trained in performance, and explored filmmaking before going all in on acting. Over the last decade, she has built a career that travels across languages and formats: Marathi films, Hindi cinema, and a robust slate of OTT shows.

Her recent work on The Broken News Season 2 (2024) and Taaza Khabar helped cement her as a lead who can carry complex parts with empathy and steel.

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Shriya Pilgaonkar’s Biography

Early Life and Education

Shriya was born on April 25, 1989, in Bombay (Mumbai). With both parents being household names in Indian entertainment, her childhood was steeped in the arts.

She first appeared on television at age five in the much-loved sitcom Tu Tu Main Main, a cameo that hinted at what would come years later.

Despite that early glimpse of the spotlight, she pursued her studies with focus, graduating in sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

While the stage beckoned, Shriya also developed a film curiosity beyond acting. She explored filmmaking an interest that later translated into directing short films and a documentary.

This dual orientation toward performance and direction is one of the threads that runs through her career.

It shows up in the way she prepares for roles, researches professions, and talks about storytelling as a craft grounded in empathy and detail.¹

Grateful to be working with Priyadarshan sir and this wonderful team of Haiwaan . Ganpati Bappa Morya 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/X6vS5KICzV

— Shriya Pilgaonkar (@ShriyaP) September 25, 2025

Quick Stats

Stage Beginnings and Marathi Film Debut

Shriya’s professional career began in theatre. She performed in short plays and ensemble productions, building comfort with live audiences and collaborative rehearsal rooms.

That stage discipline helped when she took on her first big screen lead in Ekulti Ek (2013), a Marathi film directed and produced by her father, Sachin Pilgaonkar.

Shriya played Swara, and her performance earned her the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress an affirmation that she was more than “a star kid.” The film’s reception in Marathi media circles and the state-level award established her as a serious newcomer.²

Beyond the award, Ekulti Ek gave Shriya a foundational lesson: holding a film together is about creating a full person on screen, not just a set of traits.

That commitment to character would later define her in long-form streaming roles, where she consistently balances vulnerability and resolve.

Bollywood Breakthrough with Fan (2016)

In 2016, Shriya made her Hindi film debut in Fan opposite Shah Rukh Khan. She played Neha, a Delhi call-center friend to SRK’s fan-turned-antihero Gaurav.

Though the role was not the largest in the film, Fan was a major platform it showcased her poise in a big commercial production and introduced her to Hindi-movie audiences worldwide.

The film’s release widened her network and visibility, and she followed it with more work across formats.

Mirzapur and the Emergence of a New Screen Voice

The turning point most fans cite is Mirzapur (2018), the crime drama that became a defining title of Indian streaming. Shriya’s Sweety Gupta is a “good” person in a bad world warm, witty, and steady.

Her pairing with Ali Fazal’s Guddu gave the show its emotional anchor, and Sweety’s fate in the Season 1 finale remains one of the series’ most shocking moments.

That arc, brief yet powerful, made Shriya instantly memorable to millions of viewers. In interviews since, she has said Mirzapur more than Fan was the part that truly shifted her public identity. ³

The role also underlined one of her quiet strengths: doing a lot with a little. Even when the script gives limited screen time, she shapes a complete human being. That approach would pay off again in her later shows Guilty Minds and The Broken News where she occupies the center of the frame.

A Craft-Forward Actor: Preparation and Range

Shriya’s performance philosophy is equal parts homework and heart. For Guilty Minds, she attended court hearings to understand the rhythms of legal practice how lawyers think, speak, and prepare.

She has spoken about “building the inner world” of Kashaf Quaze and letting the exterior clothes, posture, diction flow from there. It’s the kind of process that turns a role into a person. ⁴

Across genres crime drama, legal drama, newsroom politics, and magical-realist dramedy she keeps the camera interested by playing subtext.

You see decisions happening behind the eyes, not only in the dialogue. That makes her work feel lived-in, which is a big reason critics often single her out even in ensemble casts.

The “Big Four” on OTT

1) Guilty Minds (2022)

As Advocate Kashaf Quaze, Shriya anchors a grounded legal series that strives for authenticity. The show explores class actions, sexual harassment cases, corporate disputes, and ethical dilemmas in contemporary India.

Critics praised her composed intensity and the show’s realism, and Guilty Minds went on to garner Filmfare OTT nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Shriya.

2) The Broken News (2022) and Season 2 (2024)

In The Broken News, Shriya plays Radha Bhargava, an idealistic journalist in a newsroom at war with ratings and power.

Season 1 ends with Radha in jail; Season 2 (premiered May 3, 2024) picks up from there and follows her tougher, more combative return.

Reviews highlighted how the show borrows from real media currents and how the central trio (Sonali Bendre, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar) keeps the ethical debate human.

Shriya’s portrayal deepened in Season 2, showing both anger and restraint as Radha fights back against a cynical system.

3) Taaza Khabar (2023– )

A dramedy with a magical-realist twist, Taaza Khabar stars Bhuvan Bam as Vasya, with Shriya as Madhu. The show explores how sudden access to “news from the future” changes relationships, ambition, and morality.

It was renewed for Season 2 in 2024, reflecting continued viewer interest. Shriya’s Madhu brings a humane counterweight to the show’s wild premise.

4) Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley (2023)

While the titular sleuth is played by Wamiqa Gabbi, this Vishal Bhardwaj series brought together a team of strong performers and revived appetite for Indian whodunits with a classic vibe.

The September 27, 2023 debut on Sony LIV rounded out a prolific 2022–2024 run for Shriya across genres.

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Notable Work

• House Arrest (2019): A bottle-episode style Netflix comedy with Ali Fazal; Shriya plays a key supporting part that leans on comic timing and naturalism.

• The Gone Game (2020): An experimental lockdown series shot under strict pandemic restrictions, where she plays an influencer caught in a web of suspicion. The format demanded a realistic, device-camera performance style.

• Crackdown (2020): A spy thriller where she portrays a RAW operative, earning positive notes for intensity and control.

• Ishq-e-Nadaan (2023): An anthology film that fetched her a Filmfare OTT nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Web Original Film).

Filmmaker and Storyteller

Before many knew her as an actor, Shriya explored the camera from behind the lens. She has directed short films like Painted Signal and Dresswala, and co-directed the documentary Panchgavya.

She has discussed attending a Harvard summer program in 2012, after which she focused more seriously on making shorts.

That experience appears to inform her set presence she understands the pressures and puzzle pieces of production, which often makes her a collaborative actor for directors.⁵

Awards and Recognition

• Maharashtra State Film Award – Best Debut Actress for Ekulti Ek (2013).

• Filmfare OTT Awards (Nominations, 2022): Best Actress in a Drama Series for Guilty Minds.

• Filmfare OTT Awards (Nominations, 2023): Best Supporting Actress – Web Original Film for Ishq-e-Nadaan.

• Indian Television Academy (ITA) Awards (OTT), 2023: Best Actress – Comedy for Taaza Khabar.

Select Filmography

Films

• Ekulti Ek (Marathi, 2013) – Swara Deshpande. (Debut; State Award winner)

• Fan (Hindi, 2016) – Neha. (Bollywood debut)

• Ishq-e-Nadaan (Hindi, 2023) – Ensemble; Filmfare OTT nomination (supporting)

Streaming / Television

• Mirzapur (2018) – Sweety Gupta (S1). A breakout performance; pivotal arc

• The Gone Game (2020) – Suhani, a social-media influencer at the heart of a mystery

• Crackdown (2020) – Divya/Mariam, RAW operative

• Guilty Minds (2022) – Kashaf Quaze, principled lawyer; Best Actress nomination

• The Broken News (2022–2024) – Radha Bhargava; Season 2 premiered May 3, 2024

• Taaza Khabar (2023– ) – Madhu; series renewed for Season 2 in 2024

• Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley (2023) – Ensemble in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Sony LIV mystery

Personal Traits and Off-Screen Presence

Shriya often speaks about curiosity as her compass curiosity about law for Guilty Minds; about newsrooms for The Broken News; about how ordinary people change when extraordinary power walks into their lives in Taaza Khabar.

She also uses her platform to talk about craft rather than gossip, and she tends to foreground collaboration when discussing her sets and co-stars.

That tone generous, curious, professional has made her a favorite with directors who want layered performances without the baggage of star theatrics.

Impact on the Indian OTT Landscape

Indian streaming has evolved fast, and Shriya has been present at several of its inflection points: the early crime-saga boom (Mirzapur), the legal-drama turn (Guilty Minds), and the newsroom-ethics wave (The Broken News).

Each time, she has anchored or enriched the conversation with a textured portrayal that keeps audiences invested episode after episode.

The consistency of her work across 2022–2024 in four distinct shows illustrates both stamina and taste.

 

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FAQ’s

1) When was Shriya Pilgaonkar born?

April 25, 1989.

2) Who are her parents?

She is the daughter of actors Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya Pilgaonkar.

3) What was her debut film?

Ekulti Ek (2013, Marathi), for which she won the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress.

4) What is Shriya’s most famous role?

Many fans know her as Sweety Gupta from Mirzapur; she has also won wide praise as Kashaf (Guilty Minds) and Radha (The Broken News).

5) Is The Broken News getting more seasons?

Season 2 premiered on May 3, 2024, on ZEE5. Future seasons have not been officially announced as of October 2025.

6) Is Taaza Khabar continuing?

Yes. Disney+ Hotstar confirmed a Season 2 in 2024.

7) Where did she study?

She graduated in sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

8) Has she worked outside acting?

Yes. She has directed/produced short films like Painted Signal and co-directed the documentary Panchgavya, reflecting her interest in filmmaking.

9) What awards has she received?

She won the Maharashtra State Film Award for Best Debut Actress (Ekulti Ek, 2013) and the ITA (OTT) Best Actress – Comedy for Taaza Khabar (2023). She has Filmfare OTT nominations for Guilty Minds (Best Actress, 2022) and Ishq-e-Nadaan (Best Supporting Actress, 2023).

10) What makes her performances stand out?

Preparation, emotional clarity, and an ability to play subtext. She researches professions deeply like attending court hearings for Guilty Minds and builds characters from the inside out.

Conclusion

Shriya Pilgaonkar represents the modern Indian actor who moves fluidly across stages, sets, and studios.

She brings an uncommon mix of craft and intuition to every part, whether it’s a few scenes that change a season’s mood or a lead role that carries the spine of a show.

From Ekulti Ek to Fan to Mirzapur, and then through her run of acclaimed OTT titles Guilty Minds, The Broken News, and Taaza Khabar she has made thoughtful choices that showcase range without losing her natural warmth.

As Indian storytelling continues to globalize, artists like Shriya, who respect process and embrace complexity, will shape what audiences at home and abroad come to expect from Hindi-language cinema and series.

If her recent years are any indication, the next set of roles will only deepen her reputation as an actor who listens closely, prepares hard, and delivers performances that linger long after the credits roll.

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