Girija Shankar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960 |
| Alma mater | Punjabi University |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Producer, Director |
| Known for | Mahabharat |
| Spouse | Malvinder Shankar |
Girija Shankar is an Indian actor, producer and director. He is mostly known for playing the character Dhritarashtra in the 1988 TV series, Mahabharat. [1]
Girija spent his childhood in Patiala, Punjab. He wanted to join the Indian Air Force since his childhood [2] but later he didn't pass the test due to his age at that time. He now resides with his family in Los Angeles, United States.
In the early 1980s, Girija worked in the plays at the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai. Director B.R. Chopra, who used to watch plays in the theatre with his family, was impressed by one of Girija's performances and offered him a role in his 1984 film, Aaj Ki Awaaj. [1] He then collaborated with the director in the TV series like Bahadur Shah Zafar (1986) and Mahabharat (1988).
Girija played Dhritarashtra at the age of 28, in the 1988 TV series Mahabharat created by B.R. Chopra. [1] [3] He was unaware about the character before the production. But he accepted the role after learning about his importance and was considered to be the most challenging character in the series.
He debuted as a director with the 2003 comedy film, Banana Brothers [4] starring Anupam Kher.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Bahadur Shah Zafar | Mohammad Bakht Khan | Episode 11 | |
| 1986-1987 | Buniyaad | Ralliyaram | ||
| 1988-1990 | Mahabharat | Dhritarashtra | ||
| 1988 | Chunni | Hardayal Singh | Episode 1-10, 13-16 | [5] |
| 1993-2002 | Alif Laila | King Shahryar | ||
| 1999 | Suraag – The Clue | Keshav Katre "K. K." | Episode 25 | |
| 2013 | Uttaran | Agarth Yadav |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Aaj Ki Awaaz | Minister Sri Kanhaiya Laal Tomar | Hindi | cameo | [5] |
| Ab Ayega Mazaa | Chopra saab | ||||
| 1989 | Aag Se Khelenge | Inspector Ravi Saxena | |||
| Bhrashtachar | Charan Das | ||||
| 1990 | Jurm | Police Commissioner | |||
| Shiva | Inspector Tejesh Akhouri | ||||
| 1991 | Irada | Mr. Khanna | |||
| Haque | Swami Hariprasad | ||||
| 1992 | Honeymoon | Kuldeep Kaushal | |||
| 1993 | Pyaar Ka Tarana | Prem | |||
| 15th August [6] | Dholi | ||||
| 1994 | Mr. Azaad | Police Inspector | |||
| 1995 | Policewala Gunda | Don Kailashnath Narang | |||
| Aatank Hi Aatank | Raka | ||||
| 1998 | Sarbans Dani Guru Gobind Singh | Wazir Khan | Punjabi | ||
| 2003 | Banana Brothers | Director | |||
| 2015 | Gaddar: The Traitor | ||||
| 2019 | DSP Dev | MLA Bakhtaawar Brar |