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Shriya Pilgaonkar says Guilty Minds Season 2 cancellation ‘broke my heart’: ‘Rare to get a part like that’ | Interview
During the promotions of Haiwaan, the actor told Hindustan Times that the show remains closest to her heart even if season 2 was not comissioned by Prime Video.
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Some characters simply refuse to leave you. For Shriya Pilgaonkar, that character is Guilty Minds' Kashaf Quaze. You can still hear a very real, lingering fondness when she talks about the role. The actor is currently gearing up for a packed September with multiple theatrical releases on the horizon including Mirzapur The Movie and Haiwaan. But, deep down, the actor still feels the heartbreak of the cancellation of the Prime Video web series just after one season. The drama premiered in 2022.
Why Guilty Minds still means so much
Looking back at Guilty Minds, Shriya Pilgaonkar still holds Kashaf very close to her heart. For her, it was the kind of role that does not come around often, largely because of how well the character was written. During the promotions of Haiwaan, the actor tells Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview that the show remains closest to her heart.
She says, “Guilty Minds is a series that is closest to my heart because that character of Kashaf was so beautifully written. It is so rare to get a part like that,” Shriya says. “I’m so emotional about that show and usually, I’m very strong about everything, but it broke my heart when Season 2 of Guilty Minds wasn’t commissioned. I stand by how good that show was, and that open ending.”
She admits that letting go of a project she cared about so deeply was not easy. But, over time, actors also have to accept that not everything is in their control and learn to move forward. “Actors have to deal with this sometimes, where we get so attached to something. Eventually, we have to be spiritually understanding and detach and do all this,” she says. “All my girls really love the show and I’m very proud of it.”
Guilty Minds aired in 2022
Premiered in 2022, the series followed Kashaf Quaze and Deepak Rana, two friends from law school who have always shared a complicated bond. They are close, almost lovers, but their careers constantly put them on opposite sides of the courtroom. As a partner at a leading law firm, he represents powerful corporations and is willing to do whatever it takes to build his career.
Things get more complicated when Shubhangi Khanna, the firm's heiress and Deepak's new junior, develops feelings for him. Her presence adds another layer to his already complicated relationship with Kashaf. Meanwhile, Shubhangi's insecure and fiercely competitive cousin, Shubhrat Khanna, sees Deepak as a threat and wants him out of the firm.
Starring Shriya, Varun Mitra, Namrata Sheth, Sugandha Garg, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satish Kaushik, Benjamin Gilani, Virendra Saxena, Diksha Juneja, Pranay Pachauri, Deepak Kalra, Chitrangada Satarupa and others, the series was directed by Shefali Bhushan and Jayant Digambar Somalkar.
A September she is looking forward to
Guilty Minds may still hold a special place in Shriya’s heart, but there is plenty keeping her excited right now. After a long gap, the actor is set to return to the big screen with multiple releases in September. And despite having been in the industry for years, she says the feeling of having a film finally reach theatres still makes her nervous and excited.
“I’m just wanting to soak in every moment because it’s something I don’t take for granted at all. I have these theatrical releases after a very long time,” she says. “So I’m nervous and excited about Friday now, and it’s a very big deal for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be casual about it because a lot happens for that one film — from the point you sign it, to making it, to it actually seeing the light of day. That feeling will never ever get old.”
Mirzapur and Haiwaan are releasing one week apart
With two projects arriving so close to each other, the actor is looking forward to seeing audiences show up for films on the big screen. She also believes one release doing well can create a positive chain reaction for the others. She concludes, “I am seated and all here for September 4 for Mirzapur, and the 11th for Haiwaan,” she says. “And I also feel [there’s a] domino effect. So I’m really hoping that people watch all the films in theatres now in the next two-three months at least. It’s super cool. It’s fun for me.”
About the movies
Mirzapur The Movie is directed by Gurmmeet Singh and written by Puneet Krishna. The film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the Excel Entertainment banner, with Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani serving as co-producers. It features Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Jitendra Kumar, Ravi Kishan, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Shweta Tripathi, among others. The film is set to release in cinemas on September 4, 2026.
Meanwhile, Haiwaan brings Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar together on screen again after 18 years. The two actors were last seen together in Tashan. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film also stars Saiyami Kher and is scheduled to hit theatres on September 11, 2026.
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