Her portrayal as ‘Geetha’ intrigued me. Her absence from the cinematic ambiance intrigued me. It made me look out for her and I managed to get in touch with her. We have been conversing since some time and I must admit, her talks and the way she looks at life intrigues me further!
We have divided the interview into two halves, just like a feature film. This episode will carry the first half of the interview, which focuses on her film career. The second half would be out in the coming week’s which shall focus on Girija’s post-acting career and her current life. Let’s dive into the soulful blab I had with her:
Sandy: Hello, Girija. Could you let us know about your early background?
Girja: Hello, Sandy. I was born in south-east England, in a county called Essex. We lived in a pretty village surrounded by countryside. My father was a doctor, very quiet, stoic, loving. He loved philosophy. My mother is an ongoing inspiration and source of strength. She’s a highly positive person. Later in life she became a successful business woman. She’s a talented interior designer, gardener, and cook, but she would never tell you all that. I have an older brother who I love to bits. He had to go off to boarding school when we were kids and I was so upset about it.
As a child I was given a lot of freedom but also trained to respect the world around me. We moved a few times and I attended a number of schools. As a rule I did not enjoy school. I found it terrifying and restrictive, but I liked the atmosphere of my first school, which was a Convent, and the environment of my last school, which was a boarding school on top of a hill. It had a horse riding stables attached and my room had a view of the ocean.
My physical interests as a young person were swimming, walking, being out in Nature, and riding horses. My cognitive interests were philosophy, religion, occultism as it pertains to the hidden powers of the human psyche, and anything to do with mental development.
Sandy: How did you land the role of Geetha in Geethanjali?
Girija: When I arrived in India, I registered for a dance class with Chennai-based Bharatanatyam exponent Srekala Bharath. It was eventually through Kala that I landed the role of Geethanjali because Kala’s brother, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, invited me to join them all in attending the marriage of Mani Ratnam and Suhasini.
At the wedding, as I was standing and observing everything around me, an older gentleman emerged from the crowd and walked towards me. This was Jeevi, Mani’s brother. He introduced himself and then asked if I was interested in acting in films. When I said I was, he asked if I would like to screen-test for the role of Geetha, a role they had been trying to cast for more than a year. I agreed.
Sandy: The film is a cult movie and will be for years to come. How did it feel to win hearts? And, was it easy or hard to play the role of Geetha?
Girija: Thank you very much Sandy! That is music to my ears. The film received an amazingly joyful reception and that atmosphere is conjured up whenever the film is watched or celebrates an anniversary and people are talking about it online.
I really enjoy receiving the love that comes my way from lovers of the film and of the character Geethanjali, who seems to have positively influenced a lot of people, both boys and girls. It’s a wonderful thing for which I’m truly grateful.
It was an easy, natural, and intuitive process to give life to the character of Geetanjali because she was a personality that I had consciously developed through a process of psychological alchemy over the course of around 10 years up until the age of 17. She was a solidly built ‘formation of consciousness’, if you like. Two key aspects of this personality were derived from two influential friends I had as a teenager. I call them the Shiva and Shakti aspects – could say the Father and Mother of the character. You might not be able to see these influences, but they constitute the foundation of the character.
People tell me that Geetanjali has helped them. I have had grown men tell me she gave them a desperately needed sense of liberation when they were youngsters; and one woman recently told me she channeled Geetanjali during a time of crisis, which gave her strength and helped her through to a victory.
There are many so-called fictional characters, in films, novels, and indeed myths, which have such power. “There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”! Incidentally, Hamlet is a favourite play of that grounded friend of mine who was/is the Shiva aspect I just mentioned.
Sandy: What was it like working with Mani Ratnam?
Girija: Mani Ratnam is a legendary director. At the time, he had made around seven films but was still a newish filmmaker. People were raving about the outstanding quality of his films, their story lines and cinematography. To have a chance to work with him was incredible. It felt dreamlike.
Working with him was an experience that remains largely unmatched in terms of sheer professionalism. Mani also inspires love and dedication. He, and the equally iconic cinematographer PC Sreeram, possess a solid, quiet power and are a dynamic presence to be around. Mani conveys his vision using very few words and he also has a wonderful, dry sense of humour, but it’s not cutting.
Sandy: What was it like working with Nagarjuna?
Girija: My experience of working with Nagarjuna was great. He is a gentle, kind, and fun-loving person. We got along well and he was always polite. I have very fond memories.
Sandy: You struck gold with Malayalam debut Vandanam – you seem to strike gold with first attempts.
Girija: Thank you. Yes, it was a good run: Vandanam was a hit and won awards, and then I was cast as the heroine in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander opposite Amir Khan, which turned out to be a great hit too. Sadly I dropped out of that movie part way through filming due to a clash of contracts. I won a Nandi award for my last film, Hruydaynjali, and received many awards for Geethanjali, which also won a Nandi.
Regarding the ‘how’ – If we remove karma from the equation, I believe that a psychological balance is essential to success and particularly to happiness. This balance consists in being grounded – having strong internal roots that connect your psyche to the earth – and on top of that an open consciousness that you allow to grow up and up and up without ever limiting it.
To be continued…
Interview by Sandy (Sandeep Rao)
Follow Sandy @blabwithsandy