Medha Shankr

Medha Shankr (born 1 August 1997)^{[citation needed]} is an Indian actress who is known for her works in Hindi films. Shankr made her acting debut with the British miniseries Beecham House (2019) and followed it with supporting roles in the film Shaadisthan and the series Dil Bekaraar (both 2021). She achieved her breakthrough with the biographical drama 12th Fail (2023), which won her the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.^[1][2]

Medha Shankr
Shankr in 2024
Born	(1997-08-01) 1 August 1997 (age 27)[citation needed] Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Alma mater	National Institute of Fashion Technology Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2015–present

Life and career

Shankr was born and brought up in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Shankr is a trained Hindustani classical singer. She completed her master's degree in Fashion Management from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi.^[3][4]

Shankr made her acting debut in 2019, with the British television series Beecham House, where she portrayed Roshanara.^[5] Shankr then made her film debut in 2021, with Shaadisthan, a Hindi teen musical film.^[6] Shrishti Negi of News18 opined, "Medha channels a teenager’s vulnerabilities and simmering frustrations with utmost honesty".^[7] That same year, she portrayed the youngest sibling, Eshwari, in the streaming series Dil Bekaraar, which received positive reviews from critics.^[3][8]

In 2022, Shankr portrayed Minara, a girl who dumps her boyfriend for an older man in Max, Min and Meowzaki. The film received critical acclaim at various film festivals.^[9] In 2023, Shankr portrayed Shraddha Joshi, an UKPSC officer in the drama film 12th Fail, opposite Vikrant Massey.^[10] Bhavna Agarwal of India Today noted, "Medha Shankr as Shraddha, has a defined part as well, and she is the crutch that helps with lighter moments in the film".^[11] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu stated that Shankr impresses with her "poise and warmth".^[12] The film emerged as a sleeper hit.^[13] It proved to be her breakthrough and earned her wider recognition.^[14]

Filmography

Films

†	Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2015	With You for You Always	Maya	Short film	[15]
2021	Shaadisthan	Arshi Modi		[16]
2022	Max, Min and Meowzaki	Minara "Min" Hussain		[9]
2023	12th Fail	Shraddha Joshi	Also singer for song "Bolo Na" (Film Version)	[17][18]
2025	Untitled film†	TBA	Filming	[19]
2025	Maalik†	TBA	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2019	Beecham House	Roshanara	British series	[20]
2021	Dil Bekaraar	Eshwari Thakur		[21]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Film	Result	Ref.
2024	Zee Cine Awards	Best Female Debut	12th Fail	Won	[22]
	Pinkvilla Screen and Style Icons Awards	Best Actress - Jury Choice		Won	[23]

References

1. "How 12th Fail actress Medha Shankar became an overnight sensation". News18 India. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
2. "Medha Shankar takes over social media, becomes new crush with magical performance". Odisha TV. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
3. "Living her dreams: Medha Shankar of 'Dil Bekaraar' hopes to make a mark as an actor". The Hindu. 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
4. "Medha Shankar making a mark". Mid Day. 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
5. "Medha Shankar: Exploring a world of acting opportunities". Eastern Eye. September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
6. "Medha Shankar shares her on-sets experiences in Shaadisthan". The Tribune India. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
7. "Shaadisthan Movie Review: Memorable Performances Make It Relevant and Meaningful". News18. 12 June 2021. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
8. "Dil Bekaraar review: A warm slice of the '80s to get nostalgic with". Firstpost. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
9. "After tremendous response at Busan, IFFK and Palm Springs, film Max, Min and Meowzaki receives overwhelming response in Mumbai". ANI News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
10. "Medha Shankr reacts to 12th Fail's success, recalls her 'restart' moment in life". DNA India. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
11. Agarwal, Bhavna (27 October 2023). "12th Fail Review: Vikrant Massey passes with flying colors on performance sheet". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
12. Kumar, Anuj (26 October 2023). "'12th Fail' movie review: Vidhu Vinod Chopra delivers yet another hug of hope that is more earnest than magical". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
13. "12th Fail box office collection: Vikrant Massey's film crosses ₹50 crore during 5th week in India". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
14. "12th Fail's Medha Shankar gets overnight fame, earn million followers on social media". Jagran. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
15. "#AgainstAllOdds! Medha Shankar". The Times of India. 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
16. "Shaadisthan Review: Woke but weak". The Times of India. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
17. "12th Fail: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar seek blessings at Patna's Hanuman temple". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
18. "12th Fail (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
19. "Sunny Kaushal, Nimrat Kaur and Medha Shankr team up for detecting comedy". Bollywood Hungama. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
20. "Beecham House characters guide: Who's who in new PBS period drama". British Period Dramas. 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
21. Sharma, Sampada (26 November 2021). "Dil Bekaraar first impression: Disney Plus Hotstar series stays true to Anuja Chauhan's novel". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021.
22. "2024 – Zee Cine Awards". Retrieved 16 July 2024.
23. "Pinkvilla Screen & Style Icons Awards: Complete list of winners ft. Medha Shankr, Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar and more". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

External links

• Medha Shankr at IMDb
• Medha Shankr on Instagram