Pallavi Sharda: Movies & Box Office

Pallavi Sharda (born 5 March 1992) is an Australian actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer of Indian heritage who has built a versatile career across Bollywood, Hollywood and Australian cinema. She was raised in Perth before moving to the north‑western suburbs of Melbourne, where she excelled academically, earning a scholarship to Lowther Hall and later completing an LLB, a BA in Media & Communications and a Diploma in Modern Languages at the University of Melbourne by age twenty‑one. Her university dissertation examined cross‑cultural representation in Australian media, focusing on the pioneering work of director Gurinder Chadha, a study that foreshadowed her later collaborations with the filmmaker. After relocating to Mumbai around 2008, Sharda made her screen debut with a cameo in Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan (2010) and quickly secured a supporting role in Dus Tola, where critics praised her as the film’s standout performer. She continued to gain visibility through the musical theatre production Taj Express and the Australian comedy Save Your Legs! (2013), before achieving a breakthrough opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Besharam (2013). Her portrayal of a courtesan in Hawaizaada (2015) earned critical acclaim, and she reached international audiences as a member of the ensemble in the Academy Award‑nominated film Lion (2016). Subsequent roles in Begum Jaan (2017) and the ABC series Pulse showcased her range, garnering a Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star award. In recent years she has appeared in the ITV drama Beecham House, the Australian series The Twelve (2022), and the Netflix rom‑com Wedding Season, while also lending her voice to the Audible original The Missed. Beyond acting, Sharda has been an ambassador for social causes, served on the Screen Australia board, and regularly speaks on Asia‑Australia cultural literacy and women’s empowerment.