Girija Shettar

Girija Shettar (born 20 July 1969) is a British actress, known for her works in South Indian films.

Girija Shettar was born on 20 July 1969 in Orsett, Essex to a Kannadiga doctor father and a British mother.

From the age of 18, Girija trained in Bharatanatyam.

In 1989, Shettar starred in Maniratnam's Telugu film Geethanjali and Malayalam film Vandanam, directed by Priyadarshan, in which she starred alongside Mohanlal.

After the release of Geethanjali, she appeared on the front page of Screen (magazine), India 30 June 1989 issue.

In 1992, she signed for the lead female role in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, which she left mid-way to complete a prior commitment.

Ayesha Julka replaced her after the first schedule.

In the same year, she starred in another Telugu film Hrudayanjali, under the direction of A. Raghurami Reddy, which won four Nandhi Awards by Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The film was completed in 1992 but was released only in 2002.

In 2002, Geethanjali was one of five films shown at the British Film Institute during a retrospective of Mani Ratnam's work.

The films were chosen as examples of strong heroine roles in Indian films.

She completed a doctoral thesis in Integral Yoga Philosophy and Indian spiritual psychology from Cardiff University in 2003.

She spends as much time as possible at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry.

Girija is currently a writer based in London.

Previously working for a medical technology newsletter, she is now writing for a shipping magazine.

A booklet of haiku poetry entitled "This Year, Daffodils" was published by Survivors' Poetry and the Esmee Fairburn Foundation, 2011.

In 2014, she won Social Media Journalist of the Year as senior reporter for IHS Maritime Fairplay at Seahorse Journalist Awards, London.