This British-Indian actress started her career as a Mani Ratnam heroine. She made her debut opposite Nagarjun Akkineni.

Although the actress appeared in various films throughout her career, she is known for her role in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

The actress is none other than Girija Shettar, who left a significant mark with her performance in Mani Ratnam’s Geethanjali.

In Mani Ratnam’s seminal 1989 romantic classic, the audience witnessed a lively, free-spirited performance by Girija. Reminiscing about her experience of working on Geethanjali, the actress told The Indian Express, “In films, my niche is best demonstrated in Geethanjali. That character, Geethanjali, was a unique type of heroine for the time.”

Following the success of Geethanjali, Girija starred in Priyadarshan’s Vandanam in the same year opposite Mohanlal. In this crime comedy, Girija was featured as the daughter of an extremist who fell in love with the investigator working on her father’s case.

At the height of her career, Girija’s Malayalam film Dhanushkodi was abruptly dropped due to budget troubles, and her promising Bollywood debut in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar slipped away.

After shooting the first schedule of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Girija had to rush to London due to some personal reasons, resulting in her replacement by Ayesha Jhulka.

Girija’s exit coincided with most of the film’s cast being replaced, including Milind Soman. Later, Deepak Tijori stepped in as his replacement.

Years later, Girija, now a journalist, reflected on her decision to step away from the film industry: “There was a lot of upheaval involved, and it was disorientating…” I had no idea what I could offer this world, nor what it could offer me,” she shared.

Previously, during an interview with PTI, the actress admitted that she had stopped watching Indian films, fearing that they might trigger deep-seated regrets.

After years away from the limelight, Girija Shettar finally made her comeback in 2024 with a Kannada film titled Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali.

Talking about her comeback, the actress told PTI that she did not plan it; rather, “the opportunity came in on its own timing.”