Shriya Pilgaonkar makes her debut as a police officer in The Deception, a murder mystery streaming on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) from June 6, 2025. The series follows Devika, her character, as she looks into a murder in a little town that uncovers long-hidden lies and deceptions. The series presents a fresh perspective on women in uniform by breaking away from the genre's typical depiction of violence and masculinity.

Shriya Pilgaonkar on the media's biased portrayal of women in positions of power.

Shriya discusses how the media portrays women in positions of authority, such as police officers. The actor claimed that society sees male and female police officers differently because of its own sexist prejudices. She claims that the fact that women tend to take up more space is a defense mechanism that has developed over years of training.

Mainstream Hindi films have, according to Shriya, historically relied heavily on masculine stereotypes when portraying women in uniform. As she notes, one of the most popular Hindi movies featuring a female police officer is titled Mardaani, which translates as "masculine."

In uniform, accepting womanhood

The actor stated that Chhal Kapat tries to avoid being that kind of show. Shriya loves that they have kept Devika's femininity. She said that it's alright to treat her gently and that her persona can be tactful and subtle when asking someone a question. But she said that her character will be challenging as well. She likes the absence of deliberate aggressiveness. Additionally, Shriya stated that in circumstances where men have historically had more power, women are better at retaining authority and dominance.

The amazing ensemble cast of the series, which is directed by Ajay Bhuyan and produced by Juggernaut Productions, includes Kamya Ahlawat, Ragini Dwivedi, Tuhina Das, Yahhve Sharma, Pranay Pachauri, Smaran Sahu, and Anuj Sachdeva.

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.

Read Also: Actress Ritu Varma Proud to Star in Devika & Danny, a Web Series Empowering Women; Streaming June 6 on Jio Hotstar

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