Sreelekha Mitra (born 30 August 1972) is an Indian actress, director and politician who is known for her work in Bengali cinema and television. Winner of a BFJA Award and an Anandalok Award, Mitra is best known for her roles in films such as Hothat Brishti (1998), Kantatar (2006), Aschorjo Prodip (2013), Swade Ahlade (2015), Choukath (2015), Rainbow Jelly (2018) and Mayanagar (2021).

Her first acting assignment was Balikar Prem, a Bengali TV series directed by Dulal Lahiri. She rose to prominence for her role as Nabanita in the 1996 Bengali TV series Trishna directed by Anindya Sarkar. After she appeared in a host of films, her breakthrough role came with Basu Chatterjee's Hothat Brishti (1998) which was a major success at the box office. Despite the success of the film, Mitra never attained any significant elevation in her career which she claimed to be an undesirable consequence of Nepotism in Bengali cinema. She was conferred with BFJA Award and Anandalok Award for her role in Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's Kantatar (2006) where she essayed Sudha, an illegal immigrant who moves from one man to another and from one religion to another in quest of love. In 2011, she was awarded the Big Bangla Movie Award in The Best Actress in a Supporting Role category for her role in Mahanagar@Kolkata (2010), by Suman Mukhopadhyay. In 2012, she received the Zee Bangla Gourav Samman in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her role in Uro Chithi (2011). She was nominated for Filmfare Award and Zee Bangla Gourav Samman for her role in Ashchorjyo Prodeep (2013). She was further acclaimed for her role in Raja Dasgupta's Bengali film Choukaath (2016). She made her Bollywood debut in Reema Mukherjee's directorial debut Ardhangini Ek Ardhsatya (2016). Mitra has also an extensive career on television. Her notable telefilms include Dwicharini, Raja Opera, Teen Satyi, Dui Purush, Teen Purush and Ami Shey O Anu, to name a few. Her notable television series include Trishna, Ei To Jiban, Pratibimba, Bhanga Gorar Khela, Probahini Ei Samay and Bandhan, to name few. She was also a judge on the Bengali standup comedy show Mirakkel.

Mitra was born in Dum Dum Cantonment, Calcutta. Her father Santosh Mitra was a thespian actor. She passed ICSE from Auxilium Convent School, Dum Dum. She completed her graduation at Jaypuriya College, with English literature as her honours subject. She went to pursue masters in English literature at Calcutta University but quit it when she got a job at Taj Hotel, Kolkata.

Mitra grew her urge to be an actress during her school days. While working at Taj Hotel, Kolkata, she was advised by one of her acquaintances to appear for an audition conducted by Teleframe, the production house of Samaresh Majumdar who had been looking for a fresh face for the female lead of his new Bengali TV series Balikar Prem. She appeared wearing a saree. At first, Dulal Lahiri, the director of the TV series and Majumdar, the producer and screenplay writer were reluctant to cast her since they had been looking for a girl who had to portray a teenager in the TV series. She was finalized after she reappeared wearing a skirt. The TV series was not completed ultimately. Ranjit Mallick portrayed the role of her father in it. She then, started working as an anchor in several programmes aired in Channel 8. During her working schedule in Channel 8, she met Rabiranjan Maitra who helped her bag roles in two consecutive Odia feature films.

In 1996, she was proposed to play the female lead in the Bengali TV series Trishna. It was directed by Anindya Sarkar. Her role as Nabanita in the TV series earned her popularity. At a fast pace she carried on with prominent roles in Bengali films. Her first film alongside Prosenjit Chatterjee was Samadhan (1997) directed by Swapan Saha. The film also stars Rituparna Sengupta as the ladylove of the character played by Chatterjee. Mitra played the role of the sister of the character played by Chatterjee. She often reminisced that, back in 1990s, she was always told to play the sister to Chatterjee even though she had potential to play the female lead. She bagged the female lead opposite Chatterjee in Sagarbanya (1998). While shooting for the film, she had an accident, for which she had to lose significant roles in several films. She featured in Basu Chatterjee's Hothat Brishti (1998) where she portrayed Priti. The film came out as a major success at the box office. In her 2020 vlog Let's Expose Face It, she claimed that she never had any significant elevation in her career even after the huge success of Hothat Brishti (1998). She exposed that she had to lose a number of central female roles since she never showed any interest to be the ladylove of Prosenjit Chatterjee who, then had a monopolistic foothold in Bengali film industry. Till 2001, she had to play the second fiddle in the films she was offered. She featured as the female lead opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee in Rabi Kinagi's Annadata (2002).

It wasn’t something I did on an impulse; it was latent inside me. Sushant’s death acted as a catalyst. I revisited that trauma. I’ve suffered the sense of neglect, of identity crisis, gone through depression, even contemplated suicide. Why would I knock on doors asking for work?

— Mitra on why she raised her voice against the ongoing nepotism in Bengali cinema (in an interview conducted by Indian Express)

She garnered wider applause for her role in Pratibimba, a Bengali TV series broadcast on Alpha Bangla between 2002 and 2004. The series was a major commercial success running 700 episodes.^{[citation needed]}