Shriya Pilgaonkar on playing a cop in Chhal Kapat: ‘She doesn't have to be super aggressive'

Chhal Kapat – The Deception, a murder mystery streaming on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) from June 6, 2025, features Shriya Pilgaonkar in her first role as a police officer. The show follows her character Devika as she investigates a murder in a tiny community that reveals long-buried truths and deception. In addition to its crime-thriller premise, the show deviates from the stereotypically violent and male depiction of women in uniform by providing a new perspective on the subject.

Shriya Pilgaonkar on challenging media portrayals of women in authority

Shriya discusses the media's portrayal of women in authoritative roles, such as police officers, in an interview with Hindustan Times. The actor said that society has its own sexist biases that make it look at male and female police officers differently. She explains that women's tendency to take up more room is a result of years of conditioning and acts as a protection mechanism.

Shriya concedes that, for many years, depictions of women in uniform in mainstream Hindi movies have relied significantly on masculine stereotypes. One of the most successful Hindi films starring a female police officer is called Mardaani, which means "masculine", as she points out.

Dive into intense crime dramas like Abhay, The Verdict – State vs Nanavati, Rangbaaz, and Crime Beat, all streaming now on OTTplay Premium.

Embracing femininity in uniform

The actor revealed that Chhal Kapat makes an effort not to be that type of series. What Shriya finds appealing is that they have maintained Devika's femininity. She mentioned that her character can be subtle and tactful when questioning someone, and it is acceptable to be gentle with her. However, she stated that her character will also be difficult. The lack of aggressiveness just for the sake of it is something she admires. Shriya went on to say that women do a better job of maintaining authority and dominance in settings where men have traditionally had more sway.

Kamya Ahlawat, Ragini Dwivedi, Tuhina Das, Yahhve Sharma, Pranay Pachauri, Smaran Sahu, and Anuj Sachdeva are all part of the series' impressive ensemble cast, which is produced by Juggernaut Productions and directed by Ajay Bhuyan.

Chhal Kapat is Shriya's latest series, and it's part of a growing trend of strong, complex, and unapologetic female police officers in Indian television and film.