Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 26: Actress Girija Oak, known for her contributions to theatre as well as Marathi and Hindi films over the past two decades, has recently found herself in the social media spotlight as the new “national crush.” The buzz began after her interview and pictures in a blue saree went viral, earning her comparisons to international celebrities and a surge of online attention.
Speaking to Lallantop, Girija Oak reflected on the sudden fame, saying, “I had no idea something like this would happen. No one imagines this. I am enjoying the attention. I received a DM saying, ‘Will you be my babes?’ If you see my Instagram, you would know that I am married and have a son, have been doing theatre for a long time, so there is a sense of respect that comes, but then the national crush tag also gets me to witness words like ‘babe.’ There is an interesting divide in the audience to either respect me or sexualize me.”
On how her family reacted, she added, “We are enjoying the messages that are coming in; the whole family belongs to this field, so they look at all this with a balanced perspective. My son was on his school trip, so he wasn’t aware of the buzz. When I went to pick him up, other parents were discussing this, and my son got confused. I explained how it all snowballs, and later he asked if I would change with all the attention. I joked initially, but assured him that I wouldn’t change.”
Despite the online fame, Girija said that life hasn’t changed much. “When people ask me what has changed after being tagged as the national crush, I laugh and say nothing has changed, Rickshaw mujhe abhi nahi mil rahi hai (I still struggle to find an auto-rickshaw). I am not getting extra work offers.”
She also opened up about the downside of virality, revealing that she has received disturbing messages. “Someone asked me, ‘What would be the price to spend one hour with you?’ If these same people saw me in real life, they wouldn’t even look up. Behind a veil, people say anything. In front of you, they speak with love and respect.” Earlier, she had expressed concern over AI-morphed vulgar images of herself, highlighting the challenge of protecting her son from such content.
On the professional front, Girija Oak has featured in popular Hindi projects such as Qala, The Vaccine War, Jawan, and Shor In The City, continuing to build a strong presence in the film industry.