Going to the mall is unlikely to be a situation in which one discovers acting as a career path, yet it happened to be for Anushka Merchande – a little girl of seven out shopping with her family saw auditions for Disney Channel’s “Shake It Up” happening in the vicinity and tried her luck there, succeeding to get cast. From such a minor event, which could have never been considered as the beginning of an acting career, she managed to create a busy life as a television star until the end of her teenage years. This article covers everything currently known about Anushka Merchande age, family, career journey, and net worth, based on the latest available information.
Who Is Anushka Merchande?
Anushka Merchande is an Indian television actress and model based in Mumbai; she has appeared in such popular shows as Chikoo – Yeh Ishq Nachaye, Banni Chow Home Delivery, Main Hoon Aparajita, and Sasumaa Ne Meri Kadar Na Jaani as well as the web series Bombay Begums. Anushka Merchande made her big screen debut with Khuda Haafiz Chapter II: Agni Pariksha in 2022.
Quick Biography Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Anushka Merchande |
| Date of Birth | June 30, 2005 |
| Age | 20 years (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Television Actress, Model |
| Education | Pursuing higher education alongside her acting career |
| Years Active | 2012–present (modelling/child roles); 2021–present (television) |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Famous For | Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye, Banni Chow Home Delivery, Main Hoon Aparajita |
Early Life and Education
Anushka Merchande is dated to have been born on June 30, 2005, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, where she had spent her childhood years surrounded by the glamour of India’s entertainment industry. The child’s interest in performing started from quite a tender age; for example, at the age of seven, she found out that Disney Channel’s television series ‘Shake It Up’ auditions were being conducted in a mall she was in with her family. In a bold move, she decided to try herself in auditioning and was successful in getting the role, becoming an actress for the first time.
After the first experience with acting, Anushka Merchande decided to take some time off from her acting career and concentrate on her education for several years, before she returned to it at the age of 12. Today she keeps on balancing between the progress of her higher education and her growing acting career, a common practice for a young television actor who simultaneously studies in a school or a college while having busy shooting schedules.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| First Acting Role | Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, at age 7 |
| Career Break | Paused acting for a few years to focus on studies |
| Return to Acting | At age 12 |
| Current Education | Pursuing higher education alongside acting |
Anushka Merchande Age
As of 2026, Anushka Merchande is 20 years old, having been born on June 30, 2005. Her zodiac sign, Cancer, is often associated with emotional sensitivity and a strong intuitive sense — qualities that seem to reflect in her acting choices, particularly her willingness to take on emotionally layered and even negative roles, such as her arc in Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye, which tackled the sensitive issue of body shaming.
Anushka Merchande Height and Physical Appearance
The young girl’s beautiful looks and ability to express her emotions on camera made her quite popular in both the acting sphere and commercial modelling, the two of which she managed to combine ever since her early teenage years.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Notable Early Achievement | 1st Runner-Up, Gladrags Little Miss India (2017) |
| Special Recognition | Best Smile Sub-Award, Gladrags Little Miss & Master India (2017) |
| Known For | Versatile screen presence across lead and negative roles |
Family Background
Not much is known about the parents and siblings of Anushka Merchande as the actress prefers not to share any personal information with the press and in media interviews. What we do know is that she has grown up in Mumbai in the atmosphere which was conducive to her performing interests, evidenced by her family being present with her at the mall where she first tried out for the role of an actress.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Family Background | Private; limited public information available |
| Early Support | Family present during her first Disney Channel audition at age 7 |
Anushka Merchande Personal Life
As of today, Anushka Merchande has not entered into any confirmed relationship. She has not been spotted in the company of any person that could be termed as a partner. Anushka has maintained a squeaky clean personal life with regards to the controversies in the public domain and has always separated her personal and professional life.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Relationship Status | Unmarried; no confirmed relationship |
| Public Image | Clean, free of major controversies |
| Interests | Acting, dancing |
Career Journey of Anushka Merchande
An Accidental Start (2012)
Anushka’s first experience with acting was when she appeared for auditions at the age of seven after a random visit to the shopping mall along with her family. She secured the part in the Disney Channel show Shake It Up and got introduced to the world of entertainment in an unexpected manner. After that incident, she left acting aside to continue with studies.
Gladrags Little Miss India and a Return to the Spotlight (2017)
After making a comeback into acting at the age of twelve, the next big moment in Anushka’s career came up in 2017 when she took part in the Gladrags Little Miss & Master India Pageant held in Mumbai. She emerged as the First Runner Up while winning the Best Smile Sub-Award as well.
Building a Commercial Modelling Career (2017–2020)
At about the same time as Anushka’s return to the show business world, she started making her appearance in television advertisements of some major national brands like Samsung, Pizza Hut, HDFC, Ujjivan Bank, and Joyalukas Jewellers. Notably, the commercial of Samsung was viewed by over 200 million people in total on YouTube.
Television Debut with Lakshmi Ghar Aayi (2021)
Anushka’s debut in television acting career started in 2021, where she got to play the character of Aarti Tiwari in the series made by Star Bharat, known as Lakshmi Ghar Aayi.
Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye and Growing Recognition (2021)
This was followed by another project named Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye, in which she was seen playing the character of Mini Joshi. This was the first time that Anushka took up the role of someone who was a negative character, and thus, the role won much appreciation and accolades owing to her great performance despite being a child.
Bombay Begums and Banni Chow Home Delivery (2021)
Moreover, 2021 happened to be the busiest year for Anushka, as it was the same year when she was part of the popular web-series Bombay Begums and played the role of Palak Rathod in the television serial Banni Chow Home Delivery, yet again being a negative character.
Feature Film Debut: Khuda Haafiz Chapter II (2022)
It was in 2022, Anushka played her first major feature film role in the film, Khuda Haafiz Chapter II: Agni Pariksha.
Lead Role in Main Hoon Aparajita (2022)
2022 also saw Anushka playing the role of Chhavi Singh, daughter of the female protagonist in the show Main Hoon Aparajita aired on Zee TV. Thus, the role became much significant in her career in the sense that she was part of the main lead of the series.
Sasumaa Ne Meri Kadar Na Jaani and Continued Momentum (2023)
Furthermore, in 2023, she was seen playing the character of Pallavi in the television series Sasumaa Ne Meri Kadar Na Jaani that aired on Dangal.
Recent Work: Saru and Beyond (2024–2026)
More recently, she gained much recognition and popularity owing to her performance in the show named Saru and has also been part of many other shows like Fanaa Ishq Mein Marjawan. In addition to this, she has participated in several Marathi television projects such as Namkaran, Dev, Paramkrishna Avtar, and Deva Shree Ganesha.
Filmography and TV Highlights
| Year | Project | Notable Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lakshmi Ghar Aayi (Star Bharat) | Aarti Tiwari (TV debut) |
| 2021 | Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye | Mini Joshi |
| 2021 | Banni Chow Home Delivery | Palak Rathod |
| 2021 | Bombay Begums (Web Series) | Featured role |
| 2022 | Khuda Haafiz Chapter II: Agni Pariksha | Film debut |
| 2022 | Main Hoon Aparajita (Zee TV) | Chhavi Singh (lead) |
| 2023 | Sasumaa Ne Meri Kadar Na Jaani (Dangal) | Pallavi |
| Recent | Saru, Fanaa Ishq Mein Marjawan | Featured roles |
Anushka Merchande Net Worth and Income Sources
The net worth of Anushka Merchande has been approximated to be between ₹1-2 crores, gained through her television acting performances, advertisements and modelling projects throughout her developing career. Like most estimates of celebrity net worths, especially those of young actors in the early stage of their career, the above mentioned is only a third party estimation, which has not yet been verified.
| Source | Details |
|---|---|
| Television Acting | Fees from shows including Main Hoon Aparajita and Sasumaa Ne Meri Kadar Na Jaani |
| Film Acting | Earnings from Khuda Haafiz Chapter II: Agni Pariksha |
| Commercials | Campaigns for Samsung, Pizza Hut, HDFC, Ujjivan Bank, and Joyalukas Jewellers |
| Modelling | Assignments tied to her pageant recognition and public profile |
Awards and Recognition
- 1st Runner-Up, Gladrags Little Miss & Master India (2017)
- Best Smile Sub-Award, Gladrags Little Miss & Master India (2017)
- Widely praised for her performance in Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye, addressing the sensitive theme of body shaming
- Recognised for her commitment to challenging scenes in her more recent work on Saru
Additional Notable Facts
- Anushka Merchande’s very first acting role came about after a chance mall visit, when she and her family discovered Disney Channel’s Shake It Up auditions were taking place nearby.
- She took a multi-year break from acting as a child to focus on her studies before returning to the industry at age 12.
- Her Samsung television commercial has drawn more than 200 million views on YouTube.
- She has taken on multiple negative or morally complex roles early in her career, including in Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye and Banni Chow Home Delivery.
- She has also worked across Marathi television, appearing in shows including Namkaran, Dev, and Deva Shree Ganesha.
Conclusion
The career of Anushka Merchande has proved to be a truly gradual and well-rounded one – from a spontaneous audition on the Disney Channel at the age of seven, pageant success, commercial campaigns in the whole country, and a number of remarkable performances in both TV and movies in her early twenties. Having already starred in Main Hoon Aparajita, Bombay Begums and Saru, and having experience in playing difficult roles, Anushka Merchande continues to be one of the most promising young actresses to look out for in Indian TV in 2026 and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
She was born on June 30, 2005, making her 20 years old as of 2026.
She was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
She is best known for her roles in Chikoo — Yeh Ishq Nachaye, Banni Chow Home Delivery, Main Hoon Aparajita, and the web series Bombay Begums.
Her net worth is estimated at around ₹1–2 crore, though this figure is a third-party estimate and hasn’t been officially confirmed.
No, she is currently unmarried and has no publicly confirmed relationship.
Anushka Merchande’s verified Instagram handle is @anushka_merchande.
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