# Barkha Singh (बरखा सिंह)
**Barkha Singh** (बरखा सिंह) is an Indian actress who began as a child artist in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), worked in youth-oriented television, and became one of the early Indian actors to build a career in the web series space, with roles such as Sabu in *Engineering Girls* and Sanya in *Please Find Attached*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/) • [2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html). She was born in 1992 in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/bio/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1992, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/bio/) |
| Film debut | Child artist in *Mujhse Dosti Karoge* (2002), playing the young Tina (Kareena Kapoor's role)[4](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/yrf-alumni/barkha-singh) |
| Break to digital | Left daily soaps at 21 after college, saying she could not relate to playing a bahu, and moved to web content when the Indian streaming space was in its early stage[2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html) |
| Signature web roles | Sabu in *Engineering Girls*, Sanya in *Please Find Attached*, Pinky in *House Arrest*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/) |
| Widely noted role | Shivani Mathur, a no-nonsense lawyer, in the legal drama *Criminal Justice 4*[5](https://www.thedailyjagran.com/entertainment/news/its-a-lot-more-difficult-to-land-bollywood-film-says-barkha-singh-on-industry-struggles-without-insider-access-exclusive-10257543) |
| Films | *Silence: Can You Hear It* (2021), *Maja Ma* (2022), *The Sabarmati Report* (2024), with *Bhai Tera Star Hai* dated 30 July 2026[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/barkha-singh/filmography/) |
| Education | Bachelor's in Mass Media, a master's in Marketing and Business from Berkeley University, and a master's in Sociology; she topped Maharashtra in her Class XII board exams[7](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/acting-courses-cant-teach-you-how-to-act/20160610.htm) |
| Social media | More than 2.6 million Instagram followers; endorsements for brands including Cadbury, Coca-Cola, and Amazon[8](https://varietyindia.com/barkha-singh-cant-act-casting-for-social-media-numbers/) |
## Early life and education
Singh has described acting as her first love, but she kept academics alongside it. In a 2016 interview she said she topped [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra) in her Class XII board exams, holds a [Bachelor's degree](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelors-degree) in Mass Media, a Master's in [Marketing](https://www.edgepedia.org/marketing) and Business from Berkeley University, and a Master's in Sociology[7](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/acting-courses-cant-teach-you-how-to-act/20160610.htm). She has said she never planned on becoming an actor and preferred the field of advertising and marketing, and that she would have worked as a marketing professional or with an animal rights NGO otherwise[7](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/acting-courses-cant-teach-you-how-to-act/20160610.htm) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Barkha-Singh-Acting-has-always-been-my-first-love/articleshow/51406337.cms). Her career began with television commercials, and she has said that appearing in many ads led casting agents to circulate her profile, which brought her first television audition[7](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/acting-courses-cant-teach-you-how-to-act/20160610.htm).
## Child artist debut and television
Singh made her screen debut as a child artist in [Yash Raj Films](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-raj-films)' *Mujhse Dosti Karoge* (2002), playing the young Tina, the character played by Kareena Kapoor as an adult[4](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/yrf-alumni/barkha-singh). She appeared as a child artiste in *[Samay: When Time Strikes](https://www.edgepedia.org/samay-when-time-strikes)* (2003) before foraying into television[2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html), and her film credits also include *Apna Asmaan* (2007)[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/barkha-singh/filmography/).
Her television work includes youth-oriented shows. She played the journalist Gia in *Girls On Top*, a show she described as youth-oriented with a message on women's empowerment[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Barkha-Singh-Acting-has-always-been-my-first-love/articleshow/51406337.cms), and she has been part of shows such as *Jatt Ki Jugni* and *[Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaisi-yeh-yaariaan)*[10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/barkha-singh-knowing-the-right-people-and-landing-the-right-auditions-has-been-really-challenging/articleshow/117941915.cms) • [11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-feels-she-has-been-typecast-as-an-urban-girl-next-door-want-to-break-out-of-that-image-101650886477247.html).
## Move to the web
After college, at the age of 21, Singh began acting professionally in daily soaps, but her television stint was short. She said she was playing a proper bahu while being a 21-year-old fresh out of college and could not relate to it, which pushed her toward the digital space[2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html). At the time, the large OTT platforms had not yet entered the Indian market and smaller streaming services were releasing home-made videos; she has said it took her about nine months to establish herself there and that she was among the first few actors to join when the web wave took off[2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html).
The shift met resistance from within the industry. She recalled that casting directors dissuaded her, citing a prejudice against web content and its perceived content standards; she persisted because she related to web content and expected the medium to grow[2](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html).
## Web roles and films
Singh became a familiar face on Indian YouTube and streaming platforms. She played the firebrand Sabu in *Engineering Girls* and the obnoxious Pinky in the Netflix short film *House Arrest*, and played Pooja opposite [Manoj Bajpayee](https://www.edgepedia.org/manoj-bajpayee) in *Silence*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/). In *Please Find Attached* she played Sanya, a character she has described as the most similar to herself, an independent girl next door; she contrasted her with Sonal, the con woman she played in *Murder Meri Jaan*, the role most unlike her[12](https://www.femina.in/trending/achievers/actor-barkha-singh-on-her-characters-198050.html).
Her film and OTT credits grew through the 2020s: *Silence: Can You Hear It* released on 26 March 2021, *Maja Ma* on 6 October 2022, and *[The Sabarmati Report](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-sabarmati-report)* on 15 November 2024, in which she played the female lead opposite [Vikrant Massey](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikrant-massey)[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/barkha-singh/filmography/) • [13](https://www.filmibeat.com/ott/how-barkha-singh-is-silently-dominating-the-digital-space-across-platforms-463533.html). In 2022 she had three consecutive releases, *[Masaba Masaba](https://www.edgepedia.org/masaba-masaba)*, *The Great Weddings of Munnes*, and *Please Find Attached* season 3, with three distinctly different characters[14](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-on-how-people-appreciated-her-work-in-masaba-masaba-what-a-bi-101661043986926.html).
**Criminal Justice 4.** Her role as Shivani Mathur, a no-nonsense lawyer in the legal drama *Criminal Justice 4*, drew wide praise and broke her established image of bubbly rom-com roles[5](https://www.thedailyjagran.com/entertainment/news/its-a-lot-more-difficult-to-land-bollywood-film-says-barkha-singh-on-industry-struggles-without-insider-access-exclusive-10257543). She said working with [Pankaj Tripathi](https://www.edgepedia.org/pankaj-tripathi) on the show was, in her words, "literally a masterclass" for her[15](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/tv/exclusive-barkha-singh-says-she-was-nervous-working-with-pankaj-tripathi-in-criminal-justice-it-was-literally-a-masterclass-for-me-article-14022807.html).
Upcoming and recent projects include *Lafangey* on Amazon MX Player and *Bhai Tera Star Hai*, dated 30 July 2026[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/barkha-singh/filmography/) • [13](https://www.filmibeat.com/ott/how-barkha-singh-is-silently-dominating-the-digital-space-across-platforms-463533.html).
## Typecasting and industry access
Singh has spoken repeatedly about being boxed by her earlier roles. In 2022 she said she had done a whole range of "urban girl-next-door" parts, that magazine covers had called her the digital girl-next-door, and that she wanted to break out of that image into darker, more twisted roles[11](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-feels-she-has-been-typecast-as-an-urban-girl-next-door-want-to-break-out-of-that-image-101650886477247.html). In a 2025 interview she said the industry tends to box actors, male and female, based on previous roles because it is a safer bet for producers, and that landing a Bollywood film remains much harder for someone who is not an insider[5](https://www.thedailyjagran.com/entertainment/news/its-a-lot-more-difficult-to-land-bollywood-film-says-barkha-singh-on-industry-struggles-without-insider-access-exclusive-10257543). She has also described getting to know the right people and landing the right auditions as the behind-the-scenes struggle few see, while noting that for the three years before that interview projects had been offered to her[10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/barkha-singh-knowing-the-right-people-and-landing-the-right-auditions-has-been-really-challenging/articleshow/117941915.cms).
Her large social media following cuts both ways. In a 2026 interview she said people sometimes assume she is a creator-turned-actor who cannot act, and that makers cast her for her social media numbers; she maintains that her following is a byproduct of her acting work[8](https://varietyindia.com/barkha-singh-cant-act-casting-for-social-media-numbers/).
## Beyond acting
Singh describes herself as an animal rights activist, traveler, and environmentalist who works toward community upliftment in North-[East India](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-india), and she gave a TEDx talk at NSIT Delhi about changing perceptions of female actors[16](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/i-am-not-just-a-pretty-face-barkha-singh_132023). She is also a content creator and vlogger alongside her acting work[17](https://womenfitness.org/magazine/apr21-barkha.pdf).
## References
1. [Barkha Singh, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/)
2. [Barkha Singh: Couldn't relate to a bahu, so shifted to the web, Hindustan Times (28 March 2022)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-couldn-t-relate-to-a-bahu-so-shifted-to-the-web-101648486803507.html)
3. [Barkha Singh Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2771295/bio/)
4. [Barkha Singh, Yash Raj Films Alumni](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/yrf-alumni/barkha-singh)
5. ['It's A Lot More Difficult To Land Bollywood Film,' Says Barkha Singh, The Daily Jagran (3 August 2025)](https://www.thedailyjagran.com/entertainment/news/its-a-lot-more-difficult-to-land-bollywood-film-says-barkha-singh-on-industry-struggles-without-insider-access-exclusive-10257543)
6. [Barkha Singh Filmography, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/barkha-singh/filmography/)
7. ['Acting courses can't teach you how to act', Rediff.com (10 June 2016)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/acting-courses-cant-teach-you-how-to-act/20160610.htm)
8. [Barkha Singh Questions Social Media Driven Film Casting, Variety India (22 July 2026)](https://varietyindia.com/barkha-singh-cant-act-casting-for-social-media-numbers/)
9. [Barkha Singh: Acting has always been my first love, The Times of India (15 March 2016)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Barkha-Singh-Acting-has-always-been-my-first-love/articleshow/51406337.cms)
10. [Barkha Singh: Knowing the right people and landing the right auditions has been challenging, The Times of India (5 February 2025)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/barkha-singh-knowing-the-right-people-and-landing-the-right-auditions-has-been-really-challenging/articleshow/117941915.cms)
11. [Barkha Singh feels she has been typecast as an "urban girl next door", Hindustan Times (2022)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-feels-she-has-been-typecast-as-an-urban-girl-next-door-want-to-break-out-of-that-image-101650886477247.html)
12. [Actor Barkha Singh On Her Characters, Femina](https://www.femina.in/trending/achievers/actor-barkha-singh-on-her-characters-198050.html)
13. [How Barkha Singh Is Silently Dominating the Digital Space Across Platforms, Filmibeat (5 June 2025)](https://www.filmibeat.com/ott/how-barkha-singh-is-silently-dominating-the-digital-space-across-platforms-463533.html)
14. [Barkha Singh on her versatile characters in Masaba Masaba, The Great Weddings of Munnes and Please Find Attached season 3, Hindustan Times (2022)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/barkha-singh-on-how-people-appreciated-her-work-in-masaba-masaba-what-a-bi-101661043986926.html)
15. [Barkha Singh says she was 'nervous' working with Pankaj Tripathi in Criminal Justice, Moneycontrol (2025)](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/tv/exclusive-barkha-singh-says-she-was-nervous-working-with-pankaj-tripathi-in-criminal-justice-it-was-literally-a-masterclass-for-me-article-14022807.html)
16. [I am not just a pretty face: Barkha Singh, India Forums (12 June 2018)](https://www.indiaforums.com/article/i-am-not-just-a-pretty-face-barkha-singh_132023)
17. [Women Fitness magazine feature on Barkha Singh (April 2021)](https://womenfitness.org/magazine/apr21-barkha.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 2010s onward › Surnames R to T*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license