For millions of television audiences, Shraddha Arya would always remain Dr Preeta Arora from Kundali Bhagya. However, before the actress turned out to be the face of Hindi television, she was just a contestant who had to work hard to make her entry into the world of entertainment through a reality TV show.
On the occasion of Shraddha Arya’s birthday on 17th August, here is a quick flashback to the less-known start of her career journey from being the runner-up of the talent search show to working in South Indian films as well as Bollywood and finally achieving stardom in television.
Shraddha Arya Was A Runner-Up On India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj
The entertainment career of Shraddha started through Zee TV’s reality show called India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj. This particular show was participated by Shraddha in its first season, where she bagged the position of the first runner-up.
The show made its debut in 2004, with the main purpose of discovering upcoming actors and giving them the chance to join the entertainment world. Shraddha herself has been cited as the first runner-up of this competition. It was an exciting start for a person who later on became a part of one of Zee TV’s most popular fictional roles.
Shraddha Arya Made Her Acting Debut In A Tamil Film
Shraddha was not an instant hit on TV following the reality show but went on to become a successful actress in films. She made her first starring appearance in film through the Tamil romance film Kalvanin Kadhali released in 2006. She went on to feature in Hindi films like Nishabd directed by Ram Gopal Varma as well as in Telugu films like Godava.
Nishabd starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jiah Khan in 2007 meant that Shraddha had worked in a mainstream Bollywood movie way before Preeta became an overnight sensation for her. She also featured in the Shahid Kapoor starrer Paathshaala.
Did You Know Shraddha Arya’s First Pay Was Rs 10,000?
Here is yet another intriguing tale of Shraddha’s career. Once, when talking about her early days in the profession, the actress mentioned that she earned Rs. 10,000 doing an ad for the detergent brand Ghadi. Rather than save her first paycheck, Shraddha decided to celebrate with her family by having a sumptuous breakfast buffet at the Marriott hotel. Though it was a humble start compared to what she was to achieve later on television, it was certainly another important milestone in her blossoming career.
Television Changed Shraddha Arya’s Career
Having worked in movies, Shraddha then got into Hindi TV with Main Lakshmi Tere Aangan Ki in 2011. She then earned her reputation by acting in TV series like Tumhari Paakhi and Dream Girl. But her biggest break came in 2017 where she got to play the part of Dr Preeta Arora in Kundali Bhagya.
The role made her extremely famous and Shraddha continued to act in this show for many years, making Preeta her most prominent character. It is important to mention that reality television also found its way back into her career path. In 2019, she participated in the dance reality show Nach Baliye 9.
Shraddha Arya Also Holds A Master’s Degree In Economics
In addition to her acting skills, Shraddha boasts of an academic success that many of her fans may not be aware of. As an actress born in Delhi, Shraddha is also a graduate of Economics at the University of Mumbai. In going from participating in a talent contest while being an aspirant actor, doing work in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movies, and finally starring in television as Preeta, one thing is for sure – the road to fame was not a smooth one for Shraddha.