Salman Khan's Pari aka Shrashti Maheshwari set to make her Bollywood debut

Shrashti Maheshwari and Salman Khan

Salman Khan's Pari from Bigg Boss is Bollywood-bound. Telly actor Shrashti Maheshwari, who'd turn up on the set of the reality show along with the now-famous Jallad (Chintan Gangar), is set to make her debut with Shaadi Teri Bajayenge Hum Band.

The actor, who featured in season seven (2013) of the controversial reality show, went missing after the season. Keen on making a mark in Bollywood, Maheshwari departed to make time for auditions instead. Eventually, she bagged Gurpreet Sondh's directorial venture, which releases next month. The film also stars Mastram (2014) actor Rahul Bagga and Rajpal Yadav. "It is a romcom. We shot for it in Delhi," she says.

In 2013, she along with Jallad, assisted Khan during the episodes he'd host over the weekend. She'd appeared for a segment called Sanduk Ka Vaar, where the star would pull out specific props from a box to chide the housemates.

While Jallad became a recurrent face in the seasons that followed, Pari went missing. But Maheshwari is glad that Khan kept her alive with his references. "It was kind of Salman sir to repeatedly remember me. He would often say, 'Pari kidhar hai, kidhar hai Pari?' I am grateful to him that he kept reminding the audience about my character."

Working with Khan on the show, she says, was a "blast". "He would crack jokes with the unit. There was never a dull moment with him. We would be in splits whenever he was around."

Five years after her stint on Bigg Boss, Maheshwari remembers the show with fondness. "Bigg Boss was my first assignment. Although I had a small appearance, sharing the stage with Salman sir was an experience I cherished. Few can say that they made their acting debut with him. I left my hometown, Bareilly, to pursue my dream of acting. Now I hope to reach new heights," says Maheshwari.

The actor has TV shows like Big Fame Star (2013), Do Dil Bandhey Ek Dori Se (2013), The Buddy Project and Thapki Pyaar Ki (2015), among others, to her credit. A foray into Bollywood doesn't imply that she intends on leaving her career in television behind her. "I hope to strike a balance between the two," she signs off.

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