Her stint as a social media influencer in the acclaimed web show The Gone Game behind her, Shriya Pilgaonkar took a leap of faith with her upcoming debut action venture. Apoorva Lakhia's Crackdown, an espionage thriller that sees her as a Maharashtrian girl who is forced to be part of a dangerous mission, owing to her uncanny resemblance to a deadly extremist, saw the actor pull off hand-to-hand combat scenes, following a month-long training routine. "I have always wanted to explore this genre, so I was excited to be part of Crackdown. In the month-long training, I worked on basic [movements], which was important," says Pilgaonkar, who features alongside Saqib Saleem in the offering.

Excited as she was to explore the genre, the actor knew she'd have to diligently work on enhancing her strength. "It wasn't easy to pick up [the movements] initially. I gained confidence owing to my director, and our action director Javed Karim, who was patient enough to guide me appropriately. Having gone through this experience, I now have a better understanding of the aspects I need to work on. This is what I love about acting; one gets the opportunity to transform and learn new skills," says the actor, who will also be seen in Haathi Mere Saathi with Rana Daggubati.