Girija’s calm reaction to the viral ‘blue saree’ trend has won hearts online as fans continue to draw parallels between her and Sydney Sweeney

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Actress Girija Oak, who went viral as the “blue saree woman” on social media platforms, has responded to comparisons with Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney. The trend has drawn widespread admiration, boosting her profile beyond the Marathi film industry. 

How did Girija Oak become Viral?

The Marathi actress appeared in an interview for Lallantop and recounted a classroom incident involving her physics professor. According to her, the professor asked, "What Are Babes?" The question, initially met with confusion, eventually turned out to be a misunderstanding related to the pronunciation of 'waves.'

Girija described the classroom experience, "I had a physics professor. He asked us, 'What are babes?'. We were stunned over what happened to Sir. He then looked at another student and asked him to respond to the question. He was also silent. Our professor then looked at a girl and asked 'What are babes?' We kept looking at him."

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Girija's name began trending as the clip gained traction. She was in a beautiful blue saree, which later trended on social media with Girija called as “blue saree woman”.

Girija Oak Godbole was touted as "India's answer' to American actor Sydney Sweeney and Italian model Monica Bellucci by excited fans on social media. 

Girija's Response to Viral Clip

Speaking about going viral for the first time, she told reporters: "I am amused! My phone started buzzing like crazy on Sunday evening. I was in rehearsals for my play and couldn't take calls. Suddenly, all my friends were messaging me, 'Do you know what's happening on X?'"

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The actor added, "One sent me a post debating if it was (actor) Priya Bapat or me! Then my devar told me some cheap handles picked up my pictures and there was a whole 'bhabhi lover' scene happening. Some pages sexualised me. But Marathi fans said, 'You've only just discovered her! We've known her for years'"

As memes flooded X, Girija took it in her stride: "At the cost of sounding wise and old, it's a trend; it'll come and go. The work I do is here to stay. If people discover my work now, that makes me happy."

Despite some of the more explicit content, her family, she said, wasn't fazed: "Fortunately, I come from a film family. My father's an actor, my father-in-law is a producer, my husband's a filmmaker. We understand one can't control perceptions. I never have to go out of my way to explain, because we're all aware of the nature of the beast. If you put yourself on a pedestal, people will talk."

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Girija’s Background & Portfolio

Born in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on December 27, 1987, Girija married filmmaker Suhrud Godbole in 2011 and is the daughter of renowned actor Girish Oak. She holds a degree in Biotechnology from Thakur College of Science and Commerce, Mumbai, and has also studied Business Management.

Girija has acted in Marathi, Hindi, and Kannada films. Her portfolio includes roles in Bollywood films such as 'Taare Zameen Par' (2007), 'Shor in the City' (2010), and the more recent 'Jawan' (2023).