Tisca Chopra

Early films and breakthrough

Tisca Chopra began her film career with Platform (1993). Early credits followed, including 15th August (1993), Baali Umar Ko Salaam (1994), Gunehgaar (1995), Taqdeerwala (1995) and Karobaar: The Business of Love (2000).

Over the next decade she moved between film, television and theatre. Her films from this period include Hyderabad Blues 2 (2004), Sau Jhooth Ek Sach (2005) and Cape Karma (2007). Her first stage role was Dia in Dinner with Friends.

Her breakthrough came with Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par (2007). She played Maya Awasthi, a mother struggling to understand her son's undiagnosed dyslexia. The role brought her wide recognition, a Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Filmfare nomination in the same category.

Nandita Das's Firaaq premiered in 2008 and reached theatres in 2009. It follows ordinary people living with the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Around the same time she appeared in the Malayalam film Mayabazar (2008) and the Hindi comedy Mirch (2010).

Film roles from 2011 to 2015

In Madhur Bhandarkar's Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (2011), Chopra played Anushka Narang, a wealthy socialite. The same year she appeared in the romantic comedy Love Breakups Zindagi and the psychological thriller 404.

Her performance in 10ml Love, a modern retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, earned her a Best Actress nomination at the New York Indian Film Festival.

In Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013) she played Nandita Arora, a mother seeking justice after medical negligence led to her son's death. That same year she starred opposite Irrfan Khan in Anup Singh's Punjabi-language Qissa, playing Mehar in a family warped by her husband's insistence on a male heir. The film won the NETPAC Award after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2014.

In Manish Gupta's Rahasya (2015), she played Dr. Aarti Mahajan in a murder investigation centred on a teenage girl's death, where the family members all become suspects. Audiences voted her Most Entertaining Actress in a Thriller at the BIG Star Entertainment Awards.

She also appeared in three regional films released in 2015: the Marathi film Highway, the Malayalam film Nirnnayakam and the Telugu film Bruce Lee: The Fighter.

Short films and independent cinema

In 2016 Chopra co-wrote, produced and acted in Chutney. She plays Vanita, a Ghaziabad housewife who gets into a dangerous situation after striking up a conversation with her husband's female acquaintance. The film won Best Short Film in Fiction at the 2017 Filmfare Short Film Awards, and Chopra took home Best Actor (Female).

She returned to the theme of marital infidelity in Chhuri (2017), directed by Mansi Jain and starring Anurag Kashyap and Surveen Chawla. Chopra co-wrote and co-produced it, and her character deals with her husband's cheating in her own way.

In Bornila Chatterjee's The Hungry (2017), a take on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, she played Tulsi Joshi, who fights back after her family is attacked. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and later screened at the BFI London Film Festival.

During these years she also appeared in Ghayal Once Again and Sardaar Gabbar Singh (both 2016), followed by Bioscopewala, 3 Dev and Lashtam Pashtam (all 2018).

In 2020 she made her directorial debut with the short film Rubaru, which she also wrote, produced and starred in. She played an actress facing a declining career and shaken self-esteem as she tries to return to the stage.

Television and streaming

Chopra has a long list of television credits. She appeared in Star Bestsellers and in the soaps Astitva…Ek Prem Kahani, Karishma Kaa Karishma, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and Sarkarr: Rishton Ki Ankahi Kahani. She also hosted Main Hoon Na on Star News and Prayschit – Gunahon Ke Zakhm on Sony Entertainment Television.

In 2013 she joined the Indian adaptation of 24, produced by Anil Kapoor and directed by Abhinay Deo. Later came the British historical series Beecham House (2019) and Ramyug (2021).

In Sudhir Mishra's Hostages (2019), she played Dr. Mira Anand, a doctor torn between her medical duties and protecting her family after they are taken hostage. In Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya (2022), she played Avani Raut, a district magistrate pushing a mining project forward while confronting the town's belief in an ancient curse.

She also appeared in two Hindi films, Good Newwz (2019) and Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022).

Feature directing and recent work

Chopra's first feature as director, Saali Mohabbat, was unveiled at the International Film Festival of India in 2024 and arrived on ZEE5 on December 12, 2025. She co-wrote the thriller with Sanjay Chopra. It follows a woman in a rural setting who gets tangled up in infidelity, deceit and murder.

The cast includes Radhika Apte, Divyenndu, Anurag Kashyap, Anshumaan Pushkar, Sauraseni Maitra and Sharat Saxena.

At the 2026 Jagran Film Festival, Saali Mohabbat won Best Film in the OTT category. Tisca and Sanjay Chopra were also nominated for Feature Film – Best Debut at the 2026 Screenwriters Association Awards.

As an actor, she appeared in Dono (2023), Murder Mubarak (2024) and the Telugu action thriller HIT: The Third Case (2025).

Writing

Chopra's first book, Acting Smart: Your Ticket to Showbiz, was published by HarperCollins India in 2014. Drawing on her own years in the industry, it offers aspiring actors practical advice on starting out and handling the challenges of the profession.

Her second book, What's Up With Me? (2021), is about puberty and adolescence, covering the physical and emotional changes that come with growing up.

Films

Television

Short films