Bandish Bandit's Shreya Chaudhry dreamt of flying planes but found unplanned stardom and a surprise text from Naseeruddin Shah

Shreya Chaudhry, now known for her standout roles in Bandish Bandits and The Mehta Boys, never imagined she’d one day be called an actress. In fact, her childhood dreams were far from the world of cinema. Growing up, films were just fun family outings and inspiration for fancy dress competitions—where she dressed up as everything from Charlie Chaplin to Jassi from Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. Her real ambition? To step into the advertising world and become the next Piyush Pandey. She neither became an ad genius nor did she turn out to be the next best pilot.

But life, as it often does, had other plans.

In an interview with the Humans of Bombay, she narrated how she got into showbiz. She said that during her second year of college, a friend casually asked if she’d like to audition for an ad film. With no prior acting dreams, she said yes without much thought. The audition was for Pepsi, and something magical happened the moment the camera rolled. In that short span between “Action” and “Cut,” Shreya transformed. Days later, she got the call—she had landed the role.


That one ad led to several others. Campaigns for big brands like Ponds and Lakmé followed in quick succession. College ended in a blur, and before she could even pause to process it, Shreya realized something powerful—she wanted to act, not just for ads, but on the big screen.


Determined to explore this path, she began networking within the industry, making herself known, and learning everything she could. At one such event, she struck up a conversation with director Anand Tiwari, who mentioned a project he was working on. A few weeks later, she auditioned for it—and that project turned out to be Bandish Bandits.

The show changed everything
Shreya’s portrayal of Tamanna was widely appreciated, and the response was overwhelming. But the moment that truly sealed her belief in herself came through a message from none other than Naseeruddin Shah: “Beta, aapne bohot badhiya kaam kiya hai.” That one line from a legend meant the world.


Then came The Mehta Boys, where she got the chance to not only act alongside Boman Irani but also be directed by him. It was yet another milestone in a journey she never expected.

Today, Shreya reflects on how none of her childhood dreams panned out—but something even better unfolded. “You don’t always start off knowing where you’re headed,” she shared with Humans of Bombay. “Dreams evolve. And if you’re lucky enough to recognize that moment when it comes… You just hold on, and let it lead the way.