‘The industry began to see me exclusively as a series actor; I have therefore consciously decided to do more films,' says Shriya Pilgaonkar
In an intriguing arc of roles, Shriya Pilgaonkar seems to be completing what one might call the Holy Trinity of Bombay cinema's noble professions. After embodying a relentless journalist in The Broken News and stepping into the courtroom as a sharp-witted lawyer in Guilty Minds, she now dons the khaki uniform in the newly released web series Chhal Kapat, portraying a police officer with grit and grace. Only the role of a doctor remains, waiting in the wings to complete a symbolic quartet of service and storytelling.
In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, Pilgaonkar, alongside the show's producer Samar Khan, dives into the layered world of Chhal Kapat. They speak of navigating the creative fatigue that haunts the ever-expanding OTT landscape, the subtle art of sidestepping typecasting, and of course, touch upon the swirling speculations around the much-anticipated Mirzapur film.
(Edited excerpts for brevity and clarity)
Q: It's often said that morally upright characters are the toughest to portray. They risk coming off as flat or too predictable. You've played an honest lawyer, a principled journalist, and now, an upright cop. How do you keep the inner tension alive in these roles? Where do you find the spark?
Shriya: That's actually where Chhal Kapat gets its name. Because deception runs deep, and nothing is quite what it seems. Yes, my character is a cop and yes, she's doing her duty. But beneath that surface, she's carrying her own demons. There's a lot going on in her personal life, and we've kept much of that hidden, on purpose. She's mysterious, and you get only glimpses of her inner world. Even with morally righteous characters, like in Guilty Minds, for instance, the tension came from the fact that my character was so driven by her principles that it put her at odds with her own family. Is that still 'right'? That's not for me to answer, it's for the audience to decide.
That's what excites me about playing someone like Devika. She may always seem morally correct, but the question is: who decides what's moral? What's right? The show never answers that for you, it lets you question it throughout. Also, after doing intense back-to-back roles, the lawyer, the journalist, I deliberately chose something different with Taaza Khabar, where I played a sex worker. She had this punk energy, this entirely different vibe. It helped me shift gears. And now, in my next project, I'm doing all the wrong things. I'm very happy to say I'm venturing into the dark side, for all the fans out there!
Samar: Exactly. That's why we titled the show Chhal Kapat. What's right or wrong, who gets to decide that? It's all about perception. And that grey area is where the drama truly begins.
Q: One thing I'm particularly excited to see in Chhal Kapat is how it navigates the portrayal of women in uniform. A space where representation has often been downplayed. We've seen in shows like Dahaad how just the image of a woman in a position of authority unsettles people. Can we expect Chal Kapat to explore these social discomforts?
Shriya: Yes, you'll see that in a few scenes. It's done quite subtly, but you will notice how Devika is often taken for granted. We were discussing earlier something insightful: the uniform itself brings authority, and authority is often only associated with masculinity, with men. That's societal conditioning, right? Because of this, women sometimes feel the need to occupy more space and be a little sterner just to be taken seriously. So yes, there is a character in Chal Kapat who crosses the line and tries to undermine her. But the interesting part is that Devika is not someone who loses her cool. She isn't portrayed as a super-aggressive cop. Instead, she asserts herself with gentleness. In a way, that's our way of showing that aggression isn't the only way to get the job done.
Samar: Exactly. When women enter positions of power, some men do feel uncomfortable, and we've tried to address that in the show. But not in an overt or confrontational way. We've also shown that there are men who are supportive and okay with it. What's particularly interesting is that Devika initially assumes the man isn't comfortable with her authority. That defensiveness is natural. But then the man clarifies, 'Listen, I'm okay with it. I'm not talking to you as a man to a woman, I'm talking to you as an officer.' So we've tried to maintain that balance, without slipping into male-bashing where every man is portrayed as offended by a woman in power. That's simply not true, and it's important to represent that nuance: some men are genuinely supportive and accepting. The story needed that balance.
Also Read | Shriya Pilgaonkar feels some actors are great at marketing themselves even if aren't hugely talented: 'Audience will remember you for roles, not reels'
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Q: For you Shriya — and many others — OTT has truly been a blessing. But do you also feel we've reached a point of saturation in the kind of content being made? We're seeing shows get cancelled, writers not being fairly compensated, actors getting typecast, and platforms shying away from anything out-of-the-box. What's your take on where we stand with streaming today?
Shriya: I think the industry is going through its own churning and evolution, as it always does. When OTT platforms first emerged, I was part of that era. Say, around the time Sacred Games and Mirzapur had just been released. Then we saw a huge surge in creativity, people were taking risks and telling diverse stories. Suddenly, those chances stopped. Then they started again. For a while, only certain actors were getting cast, then the opportunities broadened, and then narrowed once more. So, I see it as a cycle. Ultimately, I feel we should let creators make the choices they want to make, and let the outcomes reflect naturally over time.
Speaking personally, I'm taking a leap of faith by making choices I hadn't considered before. I've also stepped back from some kinds of work because I want to focus more on films. There was a moment when I felt a shift in how people perceived me — having done more series, I started getting introduced as 'a very good series actor.' I don't really understand these labels; an actor is an actor. But I was missing the film format because it presents you differently. So now I've consciously chosen that path. I'm also working on a couple of independent films, something I've always wanted to support. There are such incredible storytellers and writers out there, and I want to tap into that talent. They're looking for actors to support their vision, and we're looking for exciting stories and collaborators who have faith in us. Because, as I was saying earlier, the nature of show business is such that the industry is very comfortable keeping you where you are. You have to claw your way out of those notions.
Q: You worked on Anubhav Sinha's Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, but it hasn't been released yet. Is there any update on when we can expect to see it? And more broadly, when do we get to see you back on the big screen?
Shriya: You'll have to ask Mr. Anubhav Sinha about that, because we actually shot the film around four to five years ago. It had an incredible cast, Pankaj Tripathi, Divya Dutta, Manoj Pahwa, Pawan Malhotra, Saurabh Shukla, Prateik Babbar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, and myself. It was a huge ensemble, and honestly, it was wonderful when we shot it. But kismat hoti hai, you never know what happens. It was kind of like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, a satire. But why it didn't release, I really don't know. That's what I mean when I say every project has its own destiny.
Over the past 7–8 years, there have been two or three films I was supposed to do that, for various reasons, didn't work out. But eventually, I've come to realize that when you're working on something, when a story has emotional resonance, the medium doesn't matter. What matters is the connection. And now, I'm consciously seeking out work, even developing projects for myself, work that I know I would like to do in the future, even if it takes time. Because this is the right time to step out of your comfort zone. For creators and actors alike.
Q: There's been talk of a Mirzapur film. Can we expect your character to return in that universe?
Shriya: Well, you've heard it's connected to Season 1, right? So, I think you can definitely expect something.
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