Mumbai, June 12 -- As Kriti Kharbanda completes 16 remarkable years in Indian cinema, one performance continues to echo powerfully through the heartlands of India - Aarti Shukla in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana (2017). Among all her roles across industries, this character stands as the most emotionally resonant, layered, and impactful. Aarti wasn't just a fictional character; she became a voice for every small-town girl who dared to dream beyond societal boundaries, and who chose herself in a world that rarely offers that option.

Kriti's portrayal of Aarti stands out as a defining moment-not just in her career, but in the cultural conversation around women's agency in middle-class India. Aarti is a small-town girl with big dreams, a PCS aspira...