Female cops are few and far between in Hindi movies and shows. So, when Shriya Pilgaonkar got the opportunity to play a police officer for the first time in Chhal Kapat — The Deception, it was an easy yes. “My character Devika Rathore isn’t just an officer; she is someone haunted by a dark past, which, in turn, sharpens her investigative instincts. She sees what others might miss, not in spite of her past, but because of it,” notes the actor.

Directed by Ajay Bhuyan, the Zee5 series is set against an intimate wedding in Burhanpur that takes a dark turn when one of the bride’s best friends is found dead. Pilgaonkar’s Devika is tasked with the investigation. While donning the uniform for the first time was enough to lure the actor, she was further drawn to the character for its complexities and grey shades. “It’s exciting to portray a cop, who breaks the mould — Devika is sharp, unapologetically foul-mouthed, and morally complex.