The first half of 2026 has been nothing short of a celebration for actor Mithila Palkar. Her first Bollywood outing of the year, opened to mixed reviews, while her second theatrical release, the Akshay Kumar-led Bhooth Bangla, became a box-office hit. Last month, her maiden Telugu series, Super Sabbu, premièred on Netflix.
Mithila Palkar in âSuper Subbu’
“Sometimes you shoot a lot but nothing gets released, and then there are times when you have work releasing back to back. I am happy that people are able to see me in diverse parts and stories,” she smiles.
A still from âHappy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos’
A Rs 160-crore-plus box-office result surely tastes sweet, but insists numbers “don’t matter much to me”. “Of course, your film making a Rs 100 crore or more feels great but on a personal level, numbers don’t matter to me. It’s not that I am getting this much money! What does matter is the reach of a film. This number suggests that a huge number of people went to theatre to watch our film and my work reached them,” she explains.
A still from âBhooth Bangla’
After 12 years in the industry, being confident about her dos and don’ts at work has become important to Palkar. So, what are her non-negotiables? “Lightening/darkening the skin and nudity,” asserts the actor, recalling an incident on the sets of . “The makers wanted to darken my skin by several shades. And I wasn’t comfortable with that. I told them that it would be better to cast someone with that skin tone rather than darkening me. But our director, Mallik Ram, was sure that he wanted me for the series. So, we sat down and discussed my apprehensions. He understood and said, âOkay, let’s start from one shade and keep increasing it. We will choose according to your comfort.’ So, we both came mid-way. My skin tone has been darkened a bit.”
Why go South?
Palkar says her desire to reach a wider audience drew her towards offers in the South. She made her Telugu film debut with âOri Devuda’ in 2022. Palkar tells us that another South project is already in the works
Up next
Mithila Palkar will next be seen in âIkroop’, a Zee 5 revenge drama that also stars Gauahar Khan and Taha Shah Badussha