In 2015, she made her acting debut in the romantic action film Hero. Produced by Salman Khan and directed by Nikkhil Advani, the film earned a total revenue of ₹33.37 crore (US$5.1 million). Shetty portrayed the role of a girl named Radha Mathur, who fell in love with a kidnapper who was paid to abduct her in order to extort her father. For her portrayal as Radha, she received Filmfare award nomination for the Best Female Debut. Bollywood Hungama, a leading website of India, wrote that ″Shetty needs some more time to improve her acting skills″. After her debut, she became the brand ambassador for the Indian franchise of Maybelline New York and featured in the Indian edition of high-profile magazine covers such as Cosmopolitan, Verve, Harper's Bazaar and many more.