Mani Ratnam’s heroine was replaced in Aamir Khan’s Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar; she left India, stopped watching Indian movies for ‘fear of triggering regrets’

Reminiscing about her experience 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. Due to this, the film was featured in a British Film Institute retrospective of Mani Ratnam’s films in 2004. And a very interesting mention was made to it, cited in The Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema, where a film critic for The Hindu, Tejaswini Niranjana, writing in 1991 was quoted, and she refers to the Gitanjali character as ‘a signifier of the good modernity’. For ten years prior to acting in the film, there was an inner preparation that made me ready for that role, but I had no idea it was coming. The project and I met when the time was right.”

Became Mohanlal’s heroine, Priyadarshan called her committed

Girija Shettar and Mohanlal in Vandanam.

Girija Shettar also starred in another notable film the same year, this time in Malayalam opposite Mohanlal. The crime comedy Vandanam featured her as the daughter of an extremist who falls in love with the investigative officer handling her father’s case. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film remains one of Malayalam cinema’s most cherished love stories, despite its tragic ending. Girija’s moving performance in the climax is frequently discussed online, with many fans wishing for an alternate ending in which Mohanlal’s character is able to unite with Girija’s Gadha.

Priyadarshan, who directed Girija in her Malayalam debut, recalled his experiences working with the actress in a video posted on Paramvah’s YouTube channel. “Working with Girija was so wonderful. She had so much innocence in her and was so committed without knowing the language. I remember how hard she worked. There was this one incident where a car came and hit her on set and she was so committed to the scene that she did not see it coming. She still had a smile and was willing to work even after she got injured. The chemistry between Mohanlal and Girija worked out really well. She gave it her best in the comedy sequences, even though she did not know the language well.”

Also Read | I used to dream about the possibility of a sequel to Geetanjali: Girija Shettar

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’s cast was changed

Just when things were looking up for Girija Shettar, fate intervened. Her Malayalam film Dhanushkodi, where she starred opposite Mohanlal, was abruptly dropped mid-production due to budget troubles.

Then, her promising Bollywood break in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar slipped away when she had to leave for London due to personal reasons after the first schedule, resulting in her replacement by Ayesha Jhulka. Only a brief appearance in the song “Arre Yaaro” and a few shots in the film remain of what might have been her mainstream Hindi breakthrough. Her exit coincided with most of the film’s cast being replaced in the film, including Milind Soman. Deepak Tijori and Ayesha Jhulka stepped in as the replacements.

In an earlier interview with SCREEN, director Mansoor Khan had said, “We shot for 40–45 days in and around Ooty, Coonoor, then came back to Bombay and shot a lot more, including the songs. But I could see the film was going nowhere. I won’t take names, but those people were absolutely unprofessional. They made life miserable, not just for me, but for the entire crew. The film was turning out really badly, and it also nearly stalled.” This led to multiple delays in the film and Mansoor was almost at the brink of giving up the film. “I felt like giving up. But the film’s story is about getting up and winning. So in a way, life was mirroring art. We stayed quiet. We threw those guys out. They went to the press, said all kinds of nasty things about me and Aamir. But we didn’t respond. Our focus was clear, we had a film to make, and a good one. And in the end, the result is in front of you.”

Girija Shettar left India, stopped watching Indian films

The only bright spot during this period was that she had completed Hrudayanjali, her second Telugu film directed by A. Raghurami Reddy, which would eventually release a decade later, in 2002, to critical acclaim and win three state awards.

Years later, Girija Shettar, now a journalist, reflected in an interview with The Indian Express on stepping away from cinema just when her career seemed poised to take off.

Girija said, “For many years, I was distracted by not knowing whether I could have combined film acting alongside my spiritual studies. I loved filmmaking and most of all I loved India. When I left, I really missed the temples and ashrams, which are a unique and precious aspect of Indian culture. They really offer such an amazing service, spiritual service to individuals, which I don’t think you can find anywhere else in the world.”

The actor added, “There was a lot of upheaval involved, and it was disorientating. Not least because when I got home to the UK, ten years after I’d left, there had been a cultural shift and there was now a media obsession with celebrity. It was strange because I had just walked away from that world, and so it felt like turning up to a party when everyone else had left: you’re left standing there all alone holding your little gift for the host, but there’s nobody there to receive it. I had no idea what I could offer this world, nor what it could offer me.”

She even admitted in an interview with PTI that she stopped watching Indian films for a long time, fearing they might trigger deep-seated regrets. After years away from the spotlight, Girija Shettar made her comeback in 2024 with the Kannada film Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali.

Girija Shettar in Kannada film Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali.

Talking about the film, Girija told PTI, “I didn’t plan this film. The opportunity came in on its own timing. I had felt it in the air for a long time, but I had no idea when it would come.”

The actor added, “If Madhumita (her character Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali) in is not well received, it may adversely affect the legacy of Geetanjali and Vandanam, which have given audiences so much pleasure through the years. But, ultimately, I don’t believe that. Those film characters have a life of their own.”