Shreya Dhanwanthary has been penciled in as the lead in the keenly anticipated Emraan Hashmi - starrer, 'Cheat India'. The Producers' had previously cast breakthrough talent, Jim Sarbh and Manav Kaul in 'Neerja' and 'Tumhari Sulu' respectively. Shreya makes it to the list of new-finds.

An actor and model, Shreya is a popular face in TVCs, having worked with a host of brands like Amazon, Pepperfry, Gionee, Fogg, Fasttrack, 7Up, to name a few. She has also featured in several leading web series on premium platforms, and has recently been signed for an upcoming original series, 'The Family Man' on Amazon Prime.

Trained in Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak, Shreya, a B. Tech degree-holder, ironically, finds herself cast in a drama that will showcase the malpractices in Engineering and several other institutes in India.

Says Shreya, `I earned my Engineering degree but I'm not blind to the crimes that infest our education system. I am delighted to have this as my first feature. Its subject is topical, compelling and engaging: one that students and parents alike will relate to. I am looking forward to working with Soumik (Sen), Emraan (Hashmi) and the producers, T-Series, Ellipsis Entertainment and EHF. I am in great hands!`

Said a statement from the producers, `We auditioned as many as 50 girls before zeroing down on Shreya. She is a complete natural, and confident and effortless in front of the camera. We were also looking for someone with inherent simplicity and charm, and she ticked all the boxes on our wish-list.`

'Cheat India' releases worldwide on 25th January, 2019. It is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Tanuj Garg, Atul Kasbekar and Emraan Hashmi.