Shriya Pilgaonkar Admits ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ Success Exceeded Expectations: ‘I Couldn’t Have Measured It On This Scale’ | Hindi Movie News
As ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ continues its impressive run at the box office, actress Shriya Pilgaonkar is celebrating her first Rs 100 crore hit on the big screen. For an actress largely associated with streaming projects in recent years, this response has strengthened her resolve to explore theatrical filmmaking more actively.
Shriya Pilgaonkar did not expect this scale
Talking about the unexpected success of ‘Mirzapur: The Movie, Shriya Pilgaonkar admitted that the team was optimistic but had not anticipated such a massive response. She told Mid-Day: “With ‘Mirzapur’ we were hopeful, but we couldn’t have measured this scale because it was an experiment. The series has a cult following, but the audience’s relationship with it has been through OTT and digital, so it was difficult to know how that would translate to a theatrical audience,” she says.
For Shriya Pilgaonkar, box office collections are more than numbers
For the actress, the true reward is beyond the figures of the collection; it’s about seeing her digital fan base flock to theaters for her. She said, “The box office is not just about numbers. Essentially, it is about the audience saying that we have come here because we are excited about the story and these characters. After receiving love for my work on OTT, seeing this translate into a theatrical space is definitely a different kind of validation, and I think that is important in this film industry.”The actress went on to share that she doesn’t pigeonhole herself into any particular entertainment medium. She said: “I never wanted any medium to define me. The way I have navigated my career has not been through strategy, but purely through instinct and curiosity to be a part of good stories. However, because it is a perception industry, one must understand that the screen the audience watches you on plays a big role in how they see you.
Because I had done a lot of OTT over the last few years, I felt it was very important for me to broaden my scope and be able to do theatre. At the end of the day, that plays a big role in perception within the industry, as well as the type of opportunities that may be presented to you.”
Shriya Pilgaonkar says she won’t move away from OTT
Shriya Pilgaonkar clarified that her theatrical push is not a step back from streaming; rather, you want to have the flexibility to work in all formats. She said, “I don’t think making films is a move away from OTT.
“It’s just that I want the freedom to be able to move between these mediums and genres and characters.”The actress added, “I think it’s important for an actor to be able to work in different mediums because otherwise the industry can quickly label you as just an OTT actor. Good acting doesn’t always necessarily guarantee good work because positioning and editing play a huge role in the quality of work an actor delivers.”He further shared, “Doing a commercial film definitely plays a big role in perception and how people see you. For actors like me, who have done most of our work on OTT, having a commercial hit on our side simply puts you in a better position to be seen differently and be seen as capable of occupying space on the big screen as well.”He concluded his words by saying, “I hope the success of ‘Mirzapur’ is a message that hiring good authentic actors for the script is worth it.”
More about ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’
Directed by Gurmeet Singh, the film features Pankaj Tripathi, Ravi Kishan, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Shweta Tripathi and Sheeba Chaddha. The film was released in theaters on September 4, 2026.
