You probably know her as Shraddha. That’s the reality for Medha Shankar right now. Ever since 12th Fail basically broke the Indian internet in late 2023, she’s been the "National Crush." But honestly, if you think she just appeared out of thin air to play an IRS officer, you’re missing the actual story.
Medha’s filmography isn't just a list of credits. It’s a weirdly specific map of a girl from Noida who went from NIFT fashion lectures to British period dramas and finally to a Vidhu Vinod Chopra set. Most people don’t realize she’s been grinding since 2018.
The Breakthrough: 12th Fail and the Shraddha Effect
Let’s be real. We have to start with the elephant in the room. 12th Fail changed everything for her. Before that movie hit OTT, Medha had about 16,000 followers on Instagram. A few weeks later? Over two million.
She played Shraddha Joshi, and she didn't just play her; she became the emotional anchor for Vikrant Massey’s character, Manoj. People loved that she wasn't just a "flower pot" role. She was an aspiring Deputy Collector herself. She even sang! If you haven't heard the film version of "Bolo Na," you should. She’s a trained Hindustani classical singer, and that raw, untrained-but-perfectly-pitched voice in the movie was actually hers.
Medha Shankar Movies and TV Shows: The Full Timeline
It’s easy to forget the stuff that came before the hype. Medha didn't start with Bollywood. She started with a British series called Beecham House in 2019. She played Princess Roshanara. Working with Gurinder Chadha (the Bend It Like Beckham director) is a hell of a way to start a career.
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Then came the "lost" years of the pandemic.
1. Shaadisthan (2021)
This was her Hindi film debut. It dropped on Disney+ Hotstar during the second wave. She played Arshi, a rebellious teenager stuck on a road trip with her conservative parents and a hippie music band. It’s a small, indie-spirited movie. She actually got the role because the director saw her Facebook profile. Kinda wild how things worked back then, right?
2. Dil Bekaraar (2021)
If you’re a fan of Anuja Chauhan’s novels, you might have seen this. It’s an adaptation of Those Pricey Thakur Girls. Medha played Eshwari Thakur, the youngest sibling. It’s set in the 80s, full of Gwalior sweaters and Doordarshan vibes. It showed she could handle an ensemble cast without getting lost in the background.
3. Max, Min and Meowzaki (2022)
This one is a bit of a deep cut. It’s an indie film directed by Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy. She played Minara, or "Min." It’s a quirky, festival-circuit type of movie about breakups and cats. It didn't get a massive theatrical release, but it’s where she really honed that "girl-next-door" authenticity that Chopra eventually saw.
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What’s Happening in 2026?
Success in Bollywood is a double-edged sword. After 12th Fail, everyone expected Medha to be in five big movies immediately. But it doesn't always work like that. There was some drama—she was originally linked to the film Maalik opposite Rajkummar Rao, but Manushi Chhillar eventually took that spot.
However, 2026 is looking like the year she moves past the "Shraddha" shadow.
- Border 2: This is the massive one. Scheduled for January 2026, she’s part of a huge ensemble including Sunny Deol and Varun Dhawan. It’s a complete 180 from the quiet, intellectual vibe of her previous work.
- Ginny Wedss Sunny 2: She’s reportedly taking the lead here alongside Avinash Tiwary. It’s a sequel to the 2020 rom-com, and it’ll be her first real test as a solo commercial lead.
- The Detective Comedy Project: There’s also been a lot of buzz about her joining Nimrat Kaur and Sunny Kaushal for a detective comedy.
Why Most People Get Her Career Wrong
People think she’s an overnight success. She isn't. She moved to Mumbai in 2018 and lived through the 2020 slump where nothing was moving. She’s been very open about her "restart" moments—being broke in the city and wondering if the NIFT degree was a better safety net than acting.
What makes her filmography interesting is the lack of "junk." She hasn't done the typical cheesy item numbers or mindless cameos. Even in Beecham House, she was playing a character with actual agency.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re following Medha’s trajectory or trying to break into the industry yourself, there are a few things to take away from her journey:
- Skill Stacking Matters: Being "just" an actor is hard. Medha’s training in music gave her an edge in 12th Fail. It made her character feel lived-in.
- The OTT Long Tail: Movies like Shaadisthan didn't make her a star, but they built the portfolio that convinced big directors she was "camera-ready."
- Patience vs. Hype: It took two years after her breakthrough for her biggest 2026 projects to actually hit the screen. The "quiet" periods are usually when the real work is happening.
If you want to see her best work, start with 12th Fail for the heart, then go back to Dil Bekaraar to see her range in a period setting. She’s one of the few actors right now who feels like a real person rather than a PR-constructed product.
To keep track of her upcoming releases, your best bet is following the official production house announcements from T-Series or keeping an eye on trade analysts like Taran Adarsh, as schedules for films like Border 2 can shift.