Shriya Pilgaonkar still remembers how her father, Sachin Pilgaonkar, would sit by her bed when she was a child and tell stories as she fell asleep. “Each night, it was a new story with different characters. Papa is an amazing storyteller, and I think that is where my love for stories and performing comes from,” says Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar’s daughter.

While both her parents are actors, she didn’t fully realize how well known they were till the time came for the school parent-teacher meetings. “Everyone would be excited to see them, and those moments made me realise the impact they had as actors on people’s lives. At other times, they were my hard-working parents, who were very involved in my life,” Shriya adds.

I met Supriya first, congratulated and thanked her for giving me a daughter. Then I went to see my little one with dimples on her cheek. Holding Shriya in my hands for the first time was the biggest joy of my life. On the morning of 25th April, Shriya was born and the same evening, there was an announcement on TV that Supriya won best actress and I won for best director for a Marathi film that year.

Once when Shriya was three years old, I came home after work and was just lying on my bed. Shriya looked at me and like a mother she asked me “Are you tired?” I said yeah. She started patting me like a mother, and I fell asleep, and that sleep was the soundest sleep I’ve ever had in my life.

Of course I have visited papa’s film sets. I have so many fun memories of visiting the sets of Tu Tu Main Main and seeing him in action as a director and mom as an actor. He would call me to do cameos and I would happily show up. He is an incredible teacher and there’s so much I have learnt from him.

“Her mannerisms are like Supriya’s, but her personality is like mine,” says Sachin, adding that Shriya is a foodie just like him. The father-daughter duo bonds over their shared love of travel. “One of our most memorable trips was the family holiday we had in Maldives last year. Papa loves to swim, but not in the ocean. I wanted him to try snorkelling and though he was scared at first, he finally overcame his fear. Like me, he’s always up for a good adventure,” Shriya remembers.

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Holding Shriya in my hands for the first time was the biggest joy of my life

We speak about work, but I don’t give advice unless she asks me for it. Now, we like to travel and just chill together, discussing film & music

– Sachin Pilgaonkar

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Papa is a one man army

Papa is an incredible teacher. He is a one-man army & it’s amazing to see him work with so much passion

He lifts the energy of a room. One of his life lessons to me is that one should learn not just from their seniors but also from juniors

– Shriya Pilgaonkar