Actress Girija Oak Godbole recently became the internet’s latest obsession, not for any of her new films, but for appearing in a blue sari during an interview. Her look instantly went viral, with netizens calling her ‘India’s Sweeney Sweeney’ and even drawing parallels to Monica Bellucci.
However, the 37-year-old actress isn’t a new face in the film industry. She has been winning hearts with her performance quietly over the years, from Taare Zameen Par to Jawan.
Girija is the daughter of renowned Marathi actor Girish Oak. Born on 27 December, 1987, in Nagpur, Girija was exposed to cinema and storytelling ever since she was a child. Before committing herself fully to cinema, the actress studied biotechnology at Thakur College of Science and Commerce and went on to earn a degree in business management. In the midst of her academic route, Girija also attended various theatre workshops to enrich her creative side.
She began her acting career with Marathi television. What shot her to fame in the mainstream were shows like Gulmohar, Lajja and Ladies Special.
The actress got her big break in Bollywood with Aamir Khan’s 2007 blockbuster Taare Zameen Par, where she featured as Jabeen, a minor but unforgettable role indeed.
Girija followed it up with Shor in the City alongside Tusshar Kapoor and Radhika Apte. In 2023, she joined Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, which also starred Nayanthara.
Apart from Marathi and Hindi cinema, Girija also appeared in Kannada films like House Full in 2009. Recently, she worked with Manoj Bajpayee in the web series Inspector Zende.
Girija is set to appear in the series Therapy Sherapy, created by Palak Bhambri and co-starring Gulshan Devaiah.