Honestly, if you haven’t seen Monika Panwar on your screen yet, you’re basically missing out on one of the most electric talents in the Indian streaming scene. It’s wild. One minute she’s a gritty, sharp-tongued scammer in the backwaters of Jharkhand, and the next, she’s playing a middle-aged mother in an Anurag Kashyap crime epic.
She doesn’t just act. She disappears.
Most people first got a taste of her raw energy in Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega. As Gudiya, she wasn't just a supporting character; she was the spine of that show. Since then, the conversation around Monika Panwar movies and tv shows has shifted from "Who is she?" to "What is she doing next?"
She's an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD). That explains a lot. There’s a technical precision to her work that you don't usually see in the "overnight star" era. She handles silence better than most actors handle dialogue.
The Breakthrough: Jamtara and the Rise of Gudiya
When Jamtara dropped on Netflix in 2020, it felt like a punch to the gut. The show was about small-town boys running massive phishing scams, but it was Monika Panwar’s Gudiya Singh who stole the spotlight. She played a girl caught between a rock and a hard place—ambitious but stuck in a patriarchal hellscape.
You’ve probably seen the scenes where she outsmarts the men around her without even raising her voice. That’s the Panwar magic.
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Why Gudiya mattered
It wasn't a "glamour" role. Far from it. She looked like she belonged in those dusty lanes. Her performance made the stakes feel real because she played it with a desperate, quiet intensity. It’s the kind of role that makes casting directors sit up and take notes. And they clearly did.
Expanding the Portfolio: From Choona to Khauf
After the success of Jamtara, she didn't just jump at every commercial ad or generic "heroine" role. In fact, she’s been pretty vocal about saying no to projects that don't align with her vibe. She wants meat. She wants complexity.
- Choona (2023): This was a heist comedy that felt like a fever dream. Monika played Bela, part of a misfit gang trying to settle a score with a superstitious politician. It showed her range—she can do comedy, but it’s always grounded.
- Mast Mein Rehne Ka (2023): This one was special. Starring alongside veterans like Jackie Shroff and Neena Gupta, she played Rani (alias Rawas). She was a beggar, a survivor, and eventually, a source of light in a story about loneliness in Mumbai. Seeing her hold her own against Jackie Shroff was a "she's arrived" moment.
- Khauf (2025): If you haven't seen this horror-thriller on Prime Video, go watch it now. It’s a slow-burn psychological horror where she plays Madhuri, a woman haunted by trauma and a literal spectre in a Delhi hostel. It’s heavy. It’s terrifying. And it proved she could carry an entire series as the undisputed lead.
The Big Screen Leap: Nishaanchi and Beyond
The year 2025 was arguably the biggest turning point for Monika Panwar movies and tv shows. Landing a lead role in an Anurag Kashyap film is the ultimate "indie-to-mainstream" stamp of approval.
In Nishaanchi, she took a massive risk. She played Manjari, a widowed mother of twins (played by Aaishvary Thackeray). Keep in mind, Monika is young. Playing a 50-year-old mother requires a level of physical transformation and vocal control that most actors avoid until their late 40s.
She killed it.
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Critics compared her performance to a "Mother India" moment because of the sheer weight she carried on screen. The film itself is a chaotic, violent, and tender crime drama—classic Kashyap territory—but Panwar’s performance is what people were texting their friends about.
Small Roles, Big Impact
We can’t forget her early foot-in-the-door moments either. She had minor roles in Super 30 (2019) and Class of '83 (2020). Even in Dukaan (2024), she showed a willingness to explore social narratives. She’s building a filmography that looks like a curated gallery rather than a bargain bin.
Why She’s Different (The NSD Factor)
There’s this thing about NSD actors—Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Seema Biswas—they have a "weight" to them. Monika has that. She’s mentioned in interviews that she’d rather read Dostoevsky than go on a superficial date. That tells you everything you need to know about her process.
She’s not chasing followers. She’s chasing the "truth" of the character.
In a world where everyone looks the same thanks to filters and fillers, Monika Panwar looks like a person. A real, breathing, sweating, hurting person. That’s why she’s currently one of the most underrated yet highly respected actors in the game.
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What to Watch First?
If you're looking to dive into the best of Monika Panwar movies and tv shows, here is the "I'm a new fan" starter pack:
- Jamtara (Season 1 & 2): For the raw, gritty breakout performance.
- Khauf: For a masterclass in psychological horror and "possession" acting.
- Nishaanchi: To see her incredible range as an older character.
- Mast Mein Rehne Ka: For a heartwarming, softer side of her acting.
The trajectory is pretty clear. With rumors of her joining high-octane thrillers like Pralay alongside big stars like Ranveer Singh, she’s moving into the big leagues. But she’s doing it on her own terms.
She’s not the "next" anybody. She’s the first Monika Panwar.
To truly appreciate her work, start by watching Khauf on Prime Video to see how she handles psychological tension, then jump to Jamtara on Netflix to see where the journey began. Following her filmography in chronological order reveals an actor who is becoming increasingly fearless with every role she takes on.