Shriya Pilgaonkar

Shriya Pilgaonkar
Pilgaonkar at the special screening of the film Thithi in 2016
Born	Shriya Sachin Pilgaonkar Mumbai, Maharastra, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Film actress, director, producer, stage performer
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Fan
Notable work	Ekulti Ek Un plus une Fan
Parent(s)	Sachin Pilgaonkar Supriya Pilgaonkar

Shriya Pilgaonkar is an Indian film actress, director, producer, and stage performer. She is the daughter of actor, director and producer Sachin Pilgaonkar and actress Supriya Pilgaonkar.

As a child, Pilgaonkar trained to become a professional swimmer and won several medals while in school. 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. Later deciding to take a different route, Pilgaonkar completed her Bachelor's degree in Sociology at Xavier’s college in Mumbai. She also studied at the Film and Television Institute of India. Pilgaonkar learned Kathak as a child and loves animation.

At the age of five, Pilgaonkar first appeared on television in the Hindi serial Tu Tu Main Main. In the popular sitcom, she played the role of the neighborhood boy Bittu. Pilgaonkar then 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.

After her performance in Freedom of Love, Pilgaonkar made her big screen debut with the 2013 Marathi film Ekulti Ek. In the film, she plays the role of Swara, the daughter of Arun Deshpande (Sachin Pilgaonakar) and Nandini (Supriya Pilgaonkar). 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'." She also added, "Experience-wise I am a beginner but I think it`s a wonderful time to be in the industry. There is so much happening, so much changing. I feel proud that I am doing my first film with my father." This movie debut led her to win six awards. Among them was the Maharashtra State Government Award for Best Debut Actress, which she received at the 51st Maharashtra State Film Awards. The film received average to positive reviews from critics. A critic of The Times of India gave the film 3/5 stars, stating "It's the perfect launch for his (Sachin Pilgaonkar) daughter Shriya into films and she does not disappoint."