Shruti (actress)

Girija, known by her screen name Shruti, is an Indian actress, television personality and politician. She is the Winner of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 3, as an actress, she predominantly appears in Kannada film industry. She is currently serving as chief secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party's women's wing in its Karnataka cadre.

Shruti
Shruti in 2016
Chairperson, Karnataka Women’s Development Corporation
In office 2008 – June 2009
Succeeded by	D. S. Aswath
Chairperson, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation
In office January 2020 – July 2021
Personal details
Born	Girija Karnataka, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party (2008–13, 2014–present)
Other political affiliations	Karnataka Janata Paksha (2013–14)
Spouses	S. Mahendar ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2009)​ Chakravarthy Chandrachud ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2014)​
Relatives	Sharan (brother)
Occupation	Actress politician

In addition to Kannada, Shruti has appeared in a handful of Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. She was among the leading actresses in Kannada cinema during the 1990s and has won three Karnataka State Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards South in her career spanning over 25 years. She is known for performance in films such as Gauri Ganesha (1991), Aagatha (1995), Kalki (1996), Gowdru (2004), Akka Thangi (2008) and Puttakkana Highway (2011). She is sister of actor Sharan. In 2016, she won the third season of the reality television show Bigg Boss Kannada.^[1]

Shruti joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2008. She was made the chairperson of the Karnataka Women and Child Development Corporation before being removed in 2009. In 2013, she joined the Karnataka Janata Paksha which eventually merged in 2014 with BJP. Shruti, over the years has been considered one of the prolific actresses of Kannada cinema and a household name with her regular appearances as a judge for reality shows and films. She was judge in a TV show Majaabharata^{[citation needed]}.

Early life

Born in a Kannada speaking family in Karnataka, Shruti's birth name is Girija. She was credited as Priyadarshini in her first Kannada movie Aasegobba Meesegobba. She was named Shruti by the actor-director Dwarakish who introduced her in a leading role for his film Shruthi in 1990.

Career

Shruti in 2011 Kannada film Sri Naga Shakthi

(L–R) Shruti in an interview in 2016, 2023

Shruthi was in Puttur in her early ages of life. Shruti started her cinema career in Malayalam film Swantham ennu karuthi. Kannada movie Aasegobba Meesegobba as Shivarajkumar's sister role. Later in the year 1990, she acted as heroine in the movie Shruthi directed and produced by Dwarakish. This movie was successful completing 25 weeks. Some of her popular and successful Kannada movies include Shruti, Taayi Illada Tavaru, Veerappa Nayaka, Gauri Ganesha, Bombat Hendthi, Muddina Maava, Mr. Mahesh Kumar and Midida Hrudayagalu. At the peak of her career Shruti was stereotyped for tear jerking roles.

She won her first Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for Aagatha (1995) directed by Suresh Heblikar. In a career spanning three decades, she has acted with all the leading Kannada heroes of her time - Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Tiger Prabhakar, Shiva Rajkumar, Shashikumar, Ramesh Aravind, Jaggesh, Devaraj, Sunil, Abhijeeth and Ram Kumar. Navashakthi Vaibhava (2008) was Shruti's 100th film (filmed in 2003).^[2][3] Gowdru turned out to be her 100th release in which she played the sister of the character played by Ambareesh.^[4]

She made her debut in Telugu with Parugo Parugu opposite Rajendra Prasad and went on to act with him in a few more. Her Tamil film Kalki (1996) directed by the ace director K. Balachander won her the Filmfare Award and also the Tamil Nadu State Award for Best Actress.

Shruti made her small screen debut in the Malayalam serial Sthreethvam aired on Surya TV during 2005. Also, her Tamil daily serial, Karthigai Pengal aired on Sun TV from July 2012. Shruti was a contestant in the reality television show Bigg Boss Kannada 3, winning the season, in January 2016.^[5] In 2017, she appeared as a judge in the comedy television series Majaa Bharatha.^[6]

In Vidhi (Article) 370, set in the backdrop of terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, her first release of 2023, Shruti played Preethi, the wife of an army officer who needs a heart transplant.^[7] In Veeram, she played Saraswathi, the protective sister of the protagonist played by Prajwal Devaraj. The reviewer for Cinema Express wrote: "Shruti's role brings that emotional connection among siblings and all the sentiment is brought through her."^[8]

Personal life

Shruti was married to film director S. Mahendar for 11 years and they divorced in 2009.^{[citation needed]} Post her divorce she was linked with Chakravarthy Chandrachud, a journalist-turned-director. They got married in June 2013 and divorced a year later.^[9]

Filmography

Kannada films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1990	Nambidre Nambi Bitre Bidi		Credited as Priyadarshini
	Aasegobba Meesegobba	Radha
	Shruthi	Shruthi
1991	Gauri Ganesha	Gauri
	Nagu Nagutha Nali
	Punda Prachanda
	C. B. I. Shiva	Shruthi
1992	Sindhoora Thilaka
	Bombat Hendthi
	Chitralekha
	Edurmaneli Ganda Pakkadmaneli Hendthi	Jayakumari
	Shambhavi
	Ksheera Sagara	Chandra
1993	Abhijith
	Kaadambari
	Alimayya	Lakshmi
	Dakshayini
	Sri Durga Pooje
	Mouna Sangrama
	Ranjitha
	Kempaiah IPS
	Rupaayi Raja
	Midida Hrudayagalu	Kaveri
	Muddina Maava	Lakshmi
	Amruta Sindhu
1994	Apoorva Samsara	Raji
	Rashmi	Rashmi
	Rasika	Rukmini
	Jaana	Lakshmi
	Vijaya Kankana	Vijaya
	Sammilana
	Bhuvaneshwari
	Mr. Mahesh Kumar
	Hettha Karulu		Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
	Time Bomb	Maala
1995	Thumbida Mane	Kaveri
	Maangalya Sakshi
	Kalyanotsava
	Mojugara Sogasugara	Shantha
	Shubha Lagna
	Urvashi
	Satya Jwale
	Taayi Illada Tavaru
	Aagatha	Usha	Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
1996	Karpoorada Gombe	Seetha
	Thavarina Thottilu
	Geluvina Saradara
	Sthree	Heera
	Sowbhagya Devathe
	Minugu Thare
	Thayi Kotta Seere
1997	Taaliya Sowbhagya
	Shruthi Hakida Hejje
	Baalina Daari
	Kodagina Kaveri	Kaveri
	Thavarina Theru
1998	Bhama Satyabhama	Bhama
	Marthanda
	Nammura Huduga
	Goonda Mattu Police
	Jagadeeshwari
	Tavarina Kanike
1999	Veerappa Nayaka
	Durga Shakthi
2000	Soorappa	Lakshmi
	Kadlimatti Station Master	Kashibai
	Mahathma
	Swalpa Adjust Madkolli
2001	Amma Ninna Tholinalli
	Gattimela	Girija	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
	Jenu Goodu
	Mahalakshmi	Mahalakshmi
	Ellara Mane Dosenu	Vasantha
2002	Annayya Thammayya
	Mutthu	Gowri	[10]
	Manase O Manase		[citation needed]
2004	Hendthi Andre Hendthi
	Gowdru	Gowri	Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress; Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
2005	Rama Shama Bhama	Shanti	Vatika Chalana Chitra Award for Best Comedian; Nominated—Udaya film Award for Best Comedian; Nominated—Udaya Film Award Best Supporting Actress; Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada
	Pandu Ranga Vittala
2006	Sirivantha	Lakshmi
	Hendathi Kattida Thali		Delayed release
2008	Navashakti Vaibhava	Saubhagya
	Avva	Aane Baddi Rangavva
	Nandadeepa
	Akka Thangi	Nagi
2011	Sri Naga Shakthi
	Puttakkana Highway	Puttakka	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada Nominated—TV9 Film Award for Best Supporting Actress - Kannada; Nominated—Innovative Award for Best Supporting Actress - Kannada; Nominated—Sandalwood Star Award for Best Supporting Actress; Nominated—Udaya Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress; Nominated—Suvarna Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress
	Aidondla Aidu
2012	Sri Kshetra Adichunchanagiri
	Rambo	Vijayalakshmi
	Kalpana	Janaki	Nominated—Sandalwood Star Award for Best Comedian; Nominated—Udaya Film Award for Best Comedian; Nominated—Suvarna Film Award for Best Comedian; Nominated—Udaya Film Award for Best Supporting Actress; Nominated—Suvarna Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
2013	Gombegala Love		Karnataka Vanijya Mandali Award for Best Supporting Actress
	Bachchan	Lakshmi
2015	Ond Chance Kodi	Tavare
2016	Shivayogi Sri Puttayyajja
	1944	Girija
	Home Stay
2017	Marali Manege
	Dandupalya 2	Abhivyakthi
	College Kumar	Girija
2018	Dandupalya 3	Abhivyakthi
2020	ACT 1978	Kanika Mehta
2021	Mohandas	Putlibai
	Rathnan Prapancha	Yellavva
	Bhajarangi 2	Alamelamma
2023	Vidhi (Article) 370	Preethi
	Veeram	Saraswathi
	Tatsama Tadbhava	Suman
	13 Part-1	Saira
2023	Kaatera	Kumari	Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress- Kannada[11] Won - Best Supporting Actress - Chittara Star Awards 2024 Won - Best Supporting Actress - IIFA Utsavam 2024
2024	Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Other language films

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes
1989	Swantham Ennu Karuthi		Malayalam
1992	Thevar Veettu Ponnu	Saroja	Tamil
	Pellaniki Premalekha Priyuraliki Subhalekha	Keerthi	Telugu
1994	Parugo Parugu	Saroja	Telugu
1996	Kalki	Kalki	Tamil	Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil
1997	Oral Mathram	Devika Menon	Malayalam
1998	Kottaram Veettile Apputtan	Ambili
	Bobbili Vamsham		Telugu
1999	Annan Thangachi	Sarasu	Tamil
2004	C. I. Mahadevan 5 Adi 4 Inchu	Dr. Lakshmi	Malayalam

Television

• All shows are in Kannada, unless otherwise noted.

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2005	Sthreetvam		Malayalam series
2012–2013	Karthigai Pengal	Charu	Tamil series	[citation needed]
2015	Super Minute	Contestant
2015–2016	Bigg Boss Kannada (season 3)	Contestant	Winner
2017	Majaa Bharatha	Judge		[12]
2017	Weekend with Ramesh	Herself		[citation needed]
2017	Sathya Kathe	Herself		[13]
2020	Majaa Talkies	Guest		[14]
	Mareyalare
	Hejje Guruthu
2022–2023	Gicchi GiliGili	Judge		[15]
2023	Bigg Boss Kannada (season 10)	Guest