Sikander began her acting career with small roles in
Prem Aggan (1998) and
Mann (1999) before landing a supporting role in
Ansh: The Deadly Part (2002). Her first major role on television was as the title character "Pooja Mehta" in the popular
Sony TV drama
Ye Meri Life Hai (2003–2005). The performance earned her numerous nominations and awards, including the 12th Annual
Lion's Gold Awards' Critics' Choice "Best Actress" (2005),
Indian Television Academy Awards' "GR8! Face of the Year" (2004), and "Best Debut" (2004). Sikander subsequently anchored
Popkorn Newz (2007) and
Jet Set Go (2008) before returning to film with the lead role of "Jiya" in
Dhoom Dadakka (2008). She subsequently appeared in the lead role of "Shunyaa" on the supernatural thriller TV series
Seven (2010–2011) produced by Bollywood film studio
Yash Raj Films. She was seen as "Byankar Pari", the lead antagonist in the children's program
Baal Veer (2012–2014) on
SAB TV. While working to establish herself in
Mumbai's
Bollywood industry, Sikander travelled hours daily, from the outskirts of the city to attend auditions, often accompanied by her brother, Rizwan Sikander, also an actor. Her film debut came at the age of 16 in 1998, with the Hindi-language feature film
Prem Aggan, produced and directed by acclaimed film personality
Feroz Khan. Despite significant hype, the film, which also featured Feroz Khan's son
Fardeen Khan's debut, was both a critical and box office failure. A year later, Sikander appeared in the
Indra Kumar film
Mann (1999) in a cameo as Kamini. The film received mixed reviews and fared poorly at the box office.
Ansh: The Deadly Part (2002) was Sikander's first supporting role in a Hindi-language feature film. Portraying the character Kusum opposite south Indian actor
Abbas, the film produced by Rukamanee Arts was a box office success, doing reasonably well and garnering generally favourable reviews. Despite
Ansh being her best-faring feature film so far, Sikander would not have another big screen release for the next six years.
Actor (2003–2021) Though her feature films failed to establish Sikander as a box office success, her Television debut, portraying the title character "Pooja Metha" in the popular Sony TV drama
Ye Meri Life Hai (2003–2005), made the show a household name overnight, gave her "instant fame", and eventually elevated her to "one of the most loved faces on Indian television." Her performance earned her numerous nominations and awards, including The
Indian Television Academy Awards' "GR8 Face of the Year" (2004), The
Indian Television Academy Awards' "Best Debut" (2004), and The 12th Annual Lion's Gold Awards' "Best Actress: Critics' Choice" (2005). The same year she was seen in the lead role in
Chand Bujh Gaya, a film on the
Godhra train burning and
2002 Gujarat riots, which was initially refused certification by CBFC and FCAT and could be released only after the producers approached the
Bombay High Court. Fueled by the success of
Ye Meri Life Hai and her subsequent performances, Sikander made frequent guest appearances on various popular programs, including
Batliwala House No. 43 (2005),
CID (2006),
Jodee Kamaal Ki (2007),
Kaajjal (2008), and
Man Mein Hai Visshwas (2009). Beginning in 2007, Sikander also featured as a TV program host, first on entertainment channel
Zoom's
Popkorn Newz for a single season and then in 2008 as the host of the
STAR One travel contest program
Jet Set Go. An accomplished self-taught dancer and amateur singer, Sikander appeared on numerous programs, including the celebrity dance program
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena as a celebrity contestant alongside notable Indian cricketer
Vinod Kambli. She joined the singing reality program
Jjhoom India as a celebrity contestant, as well as India's longest running dance program
Boogie Woogie as a celebrity guest performer in 2010 and subsequently on multiple occasions as a performer and as a guest judge. While her TV career flourished, Sikander returned to film in 2008 with a supporting role in director Shashi Ranjan's
Dhoom Dhadaka alongside notable Bollywood actors
Jackie Shroff,
Anupam Kher,
Gulshan Grover, and
Satish Kaushik. The film was a box office failure. 2010 saw Sikander return to a lead role in a television series for the first time since leaving
Ye Meri Life Hai in 2005. Sikander's Shunyaa featured as the central character in the supernatural thriller series
Seven (2010–2011), produced by
Yash Raj Films. Sikander's performance and the program were widely appreciated.
Seven experienced niche viewership and was eventually brought to a close after only one season of 26 episodes. After a short break Sikander took the role of the main antagonist, Byankar Pari, in the young-adult fantasy program
Baal Veer starting in September 2012. Sikander quit the show in 2014. In March 2016, Sikander featured in the short film
Sexaholic. In early 2017, Sikander was featured in the title role of Maaya in
Maaya: Slave of Her Desires directed by
Vikram Bhatt. In December 2017, Sikander announced
Ab Dil Ki Sunn, the maiden project of her home production in which she also plays the lead role. Inspired by her own life incidents,
Ab Dil Ki Sunn features 7 short films based on different human aspects such as bipolar disorder, depression, and other social and emotional complexities, distributed exclusively on YouTube.
Ab Dil Ki Sunn launched on YouTube in early 2018. Sikander's return to the theaters came with the November 1st, 2019 release of the mainstream Bollywood thriller
Bypass Road.
Designer (2010–2021) In addition to acting, Sikander launched her fashion label
Saisha in December 2010. The brand, based in Mumbai, has showcased collections both domestically and internationally. Sikander has appeared on the runway wearing her own designs at various fashion events.
Film, music and music video producer (2012-2021) In late 2017, Sikander incorporated the Film and TV production company Shama Sikander Films Pvt. Ltd., best known for the short film series
Ab Dil Ki Sunn. In March 2021, Shama Sikander appeared in the music video,
Hawa Karda by Koinage Records. ==Personal life==