Pragya Jaiswal | |
|---|---|
Jaiswal in 2023 | |
| Born | 12 January 1991 Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Alma mater | Symbiosis Law School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Pragya Jaiswal (born 12 January 1991) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu films. She has won a Filmfare Award and a South Indian International Movie Award. [1]
Jaiswal made her acting debut in 2014 with the Tamil-language film Virattu . She had her breakthrough with the Telugu period drama Kanche (2015), for which she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South. [2] [3] Jaiswal made her Hindi film debut with Titoo MBA . She went on to appear in films such as Nakshatram (2017), Achari America Yatra (2018) and Akhanda (2021), which is her highest-grossing release.
Jaiswal was born on 12 January 1991 [4] in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Pragya Jaiswal completed her education from Symbiosis Law School at Pune. [5] [6] During her initial days at Symbiosis University, she participated in various beauty pageants and became a model. In 2014, she received the Symbiosis Sanskritik Puraskar for her achievement in the field of art and culture. [7]
Jaiswal made her acting debut with the Tamil film Virattu , in 2014. [8] In the same year, she made her Hindi film debut with Titoo MBA opposite Nishant Dahiya. [9]
In 2015, Jaiswal ventured into Telugu films with Mirchi Lanti Kurradu opposite Abijeet.[ citation needed ] Her career marked a turning point with Kanche , where she played a princess opposite Varun Tej. The film emerged a commercial success. [10] [11] [12] Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle noted, "Pragya looks beautiful and perfectly fits her role of a princess." [13]
Following Kanche's success, she had four releases in 2017. She first appeared in Om Namo Venkatesaya , a box office failure. [14] Her next film, Gunturodu opposite Manchu Manoj also failed at the box office. [15] Jaiswal next played an IPS officer in Nakshatram . [16] Sridhar Adivi of The Times of India stated that her role is packed with both "glamour and substance". [17] She had an extended cameo in Jaya Janaki Nayaka , her final film of the year.[ citation needed ] In 2018, she appeared in Achari America Yatra opposite Vishnu Manchu, which was an average grosser. [18]
Post a three year hiatus, Jaiswal played an IAS officer in Akhanda opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna. [19] The film was a commercial success and became the third highest grossing Telugu film of 2021. [20] Firstpost noted, "Saranya is relatively well-written and Pragya carries her well." [21] In 2022, she played a NIA officer in the box office failure, Son of India . [22]
Jaiswal returned to Hindi films with the 2024 ensemble comedy Khel Khel Mein , playing a boutique owner opposite Aditya Seal. [23] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu stated, "A confident Pragya turns up in a Hindi film for a change and plays the role of an entitled brat without caricaturising it." [24] . Her latest movie is Daaku Maharaj, starring opposite Nandamuri Bala Krishna.
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Virattu | Mavi | Tamil | [25] | |
| Titoo MBA | Gulshan | Hindi | [26] | ||
| 2015 | Mirchi Lanti Kurradu | Vasundara | Telugu | [27] | |
| Kanche | Sita Devi | [28] | |||
| 2017 | Om Namo Venkatesaya | Bhavani | Cameo | [29] | |
| Gunturodu | Amrutha | [30] | |||
| Nakshatram | Kiran Reddy IPS | [31] [32] | |||
| Jaya Janaki Nayaka | Falguni | Extended cameo | [33] | ||
| 2018 | Achari America Yatra | Renuka | [34] | ||
| 2021 | Akhanda | Saranya Bachupally IAS | [35] | ||
| 2022 | Son of India | Iravathi "Ira" | Cameo | [36] | |
| 2024 | Khel Khel Mein | Naina Tanwar | Hindi | [37] | |
| 2025 | Daaku Maharaaj | Kaveri | Telugu | [38] | |
| Akhanda 2† | Saranya Bachupally IAS | Filming | [39] | ||
| Tyson Naidu† | TBA | Filming | [40] |
| Year | Title | Singer(s) | Language | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Main Chala" | Guru Randhawa, Iulia Vantur | Hindi | [41] |
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Kanche | 63rd Filmfare Awards South | Best Female Debut | Won | [42] |
| 5th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Female Debut – Telugu | Won | [43] | ||
| CineMAA Awards | Best Female Debut | Won | [44] | ||
| Zee Telugu Apsara Awards | Best Find of the Year | Won | [ citation needed ] | ||
| TV9 National Film Awards | Best Debut Actress | Won | [ citation needed ] | ||
| 2021 | Akhanda | 10th South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Actress – Telugu | Nominated | [45] |