Palak Tiwari is done waiting for approval

"I hope I’m audible to you; it’s a bit loud where I am,” laughs Palak Tiwari, as the metallic clang of gym weights dots the beginning of our Zoom chat. While most newcomers are still figuring out the mechanics of the spotlight, Tiwari has had a front-row seat to the industry’s evolution since she was just four years old. As the daughter of Shweta Tiwari—a household name who has navigated the Indian television industry since the late ’90s—she grew up with a backstage pass. But what did this world actually look like to a child watching from the sidelines? 

“My mom was navigating her career as someone my age, but she was also navigating a broken marriage and the tabloids—and they were particularly nasty back then,” Tiwari reflects. “Despite that, I didn’t grow up fearing the media. No matter what the world said, my mother never judged herself or regretted the path she chose. That set a very nice precedent for me.”

Stepping into the frame

Before her film credits began to stack up—from Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023) to The Bhootnii (2025) and Romeo S3 (2025)—there was the “Bijlee” of it all. The 2021 music video wasn’t just a trending clip; it was a moment that put her on the map. 

“When you’re that new, you’re just satiated by the fact that the shooting is done,” she admits with a chuckle. “The further you get into your career and the more you achieve, the ‘greedier’ you naturally become. But with that first opportunity? You’re just happy someone believed in you.” 

Now, at 25, Palak Tiwari isn’t a run-of-the-mill newcomer, yet she speaks about the back and forth of the audition room. That drive is leading her into the OTT space. “I auditioned for it at least ten times,” she says of Lukkhe, her upcoming Amazon Prime series. “I had a lucky hoodie that I wore to every audition. I grew so emotionally attached to the character before I even knew the whole script.

Letting it play out

In an industry currently obsessed with the “nepo baby” discourse, Palak occupies a nuanced middle ground. “It’s a dichotomy,” she explains. While the internet remains divided on who “deserves” a seat at the table, Tiwari is content to let the critics wait. “I don’t think any of us have done enough yet for people to truly know if we deserve it,” she says with a shrug. 

To her, the debate over whether she’s a product of nepotism is a “future me problem”. She tells Cosmo, “My goal is to at least be known as an individual—someone working for things I can be proud of. If people want to judge me or debate my merit after that, I’ll worry about it then. But for now, I’m just focused on my work.” 

When it comes to social media, her relationship status is ‘It’s Complicated’. Like most of us, her journey through the digital world has happened in distinct, sometimes bruising, phases. “At 17, it was all about the highs,” she recalls. “You think, ‘I’m having so much fun and the world is going to get a thrill out of seeing how happy I am.’ Which, let’s be honest, isn’t true—but I believed it.” 

Then came the reality check of her late teens: The discovery that the internet isn’t always a fan club. For Tiwari, the critique was deeply personal. “My first experience with hate—which is still pretty persistent— was the ‘you don’t look half as good as your mom’ comments,” she says. “Initially, you get irritated. There’s this sense that anyone who doesn’t like you must be blind.” 

But entering her mid-20s was a pivot toward peace. “You start loving yourself, and I don’t believe humans operate from a hateful space without reason,” she adds with a shrug. “It might be idealistic, but that’s who I am at this stage of my life.

Ditching the spark

When the conversation shifts to the relationship lessons her 20s have served up so far, she’s quick to dismantle the cinematic trope of “the spark”. “Have you heard the quote that if it gives you butterflies, it’s wrong?” she asks. “I grew up thinking that was a total farce—that they were just trying to kill romance. But now, it’s about being as comfortable with a partner as you are with family. There should be a complete absence of the ‘butterfly farm’ in your stomach. It should just be filled with the food you’ve eaten together. That’s it,” she laughs. 

While the internet remains obsessed with her status, the actor has reached a state of digital zen. “I’ve realised that dating or not, people will always think I’m dating,” she says, perfectly unbothered. “At this point, every boy in my life is going to be a mystery man.” 

What comes next?

It is a curious paradox: The girl with the viral music videos is the same one who feels “bashful” when her own clips are played at home. “I’m a very shy person,” she confesses. “I can’t watch myself on screen without thinking, ‘You did this wrong; how embarrassing.’” 

But don’t mistake that shyness for a lack of hunger. Palak’s bucket list is as sprawling as a multi-season script. Inspired by watching her mother, she’s chasing that “tragically beautiful” drama. “I want to do the genres that really thrill me. I want to make people laugh; I want to make them cry—I don’t even mind if they hate my character because they think the hero deserves better,” she says with a laugh. 

Where does she see herself in a decade? It’s a version of herself she’s still building with every “lucky hoodie” audition. “I want to be an actor who can finally sit in front of the screen, watch my work, and think: ‘Yeah, that was a f***ing perfect take.’”

Cosmo Quiz:

On-set chaos or red-carpet glam?

On-set chaos, any day.

3:00 am DM or a 3:00 pm coffee date?

A coffee date would be all over the pages, so I’ll go with a 3:00 pm DM.

K-drama or Anime? 

Anime. I’m currently obsessed with Tamon’s B-Side.

Digital detox or “scroll till I fall asleep”?

Digital detox, any day.

The one thing you never leave the house without:

My Kindle.

Your ideal summer plan:

Being in Miami, starting the day with Pilates, then a long walk on the beach with headphones on, clocking in 8–10k steps, and ending it with a really refreshing fruit bowl or a smoothie.

Your hidden talent:

I’m very good at understanding people’s emotions. I can easily put myself in someone else’s shoes, which makes me a great advice-giver.

One motto you live by:

I want things to feel real but also cinematic. Even in real life, I like a bit of drama and storytelling.

One skincare product you swear by:

Glycolic mask. I use it twice a week and it keeps my skin clear and smooth.

All images: Tarun Kalyani

This article originally appeared in Cosmopolitan India's March-April 2026 print issue.

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