Girija Oak says an actor’s perceived ethnicity, appearance and language can influence how filmmakers view them for roles, sometimes opening doors and sometimes creating limitations.
Mumbai: Girija Oak has opened up about an often-unspoken aspect of the casting process: how an actor’s perceived ethnicity can influence the roles they are considered for.
The Marathi and Hindi film actress said that perceptions about where an actor “looks” like they are from can affect casting decisions. According to Oak, those assumptions can sometimes work in an actor’s favour, while at other times they can become a limitation.
Girija Oak on Ethnicity in Casting
Oak, who was born in Nagpur, told PTI that she has increasingly been receiving Hindi projects after spending recent years away from Marathi-language work.
“I haven’t done any Marathi work in the last few years and of late, more Hindi projects have come my way. I’ve always been offered a variety of roles,” she said.
Reflecting on how casting professionals may perceive her, Oak added that she is unsure whether she is immediately seen as Maharashtrian.
“Sometimes your ethnicity can work in your favour and sometimes it can work against you. It’s a strange game of perception,” the actress said.
Language and Appearance Can Shape Perceptions
Oak explained that some filmmakers cast her in Maharashtrian roles because she can speak Marathi convincingly and is capable of adapting her delivery when a character requires it.
She also pointed out that the way she speaks in a role does not necessarily reflect how she communicates in her personal life.
According to Oak, when casting decisions are based primarily on language and appearance, the eventual choice can depend on how the people making those decisions perceive an actor.
She believes that, in her case, the situation has generally worked in her favour.
Girija Oak Was Surprised by an Age-Related Casting Offer
The actress also spoke about the way her age has been perceived within the industry.
Oak revealed that she was recently approached for a role as the mother of a 40-year-old male lead, an offer that surprised her.
The experience made her reflect on the uncertainty surrounding how she is categorised by casting teams—not only in terms of ethnicity and region, but also age.
Atlee’s Observation During Jawan Casting
Oak recalled another casting experience involving filmmaker Atlee during the making of Jawan.
She said Atlee remarked that she looked quite young and subsequently considered her for a place within Shah Rukh Khan’s core team in the 2023 action film.
Oak played Iskra, one of the six women who form the vigilante group working alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s character.
The experience further reinforced her uncertainty about how the industry perceives her in terms of age, regional identity and ethnicity.
Girija Oak’s Work Across Marathi and Hindi Cinema
Oak has built a career spanning Marathi and Hindi entertainment, with credits including Goshta Choti Dongraevadhi, Baji, Taare Zameen Par, Shor in the City, Gulmohar and Jawan.
More recently, she appeared in Inspector Zende, where she shared the screen with Manoj Bajpayee, and Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata.
She also featured in the 2025 series Perfect Family, created with casting director Mukesh Chhabra, where she played Neeti Karkaria, a daughter-in-law navigating the tensions within a dysfunctional Punjabi family.
For Oak, the role was another example of how casting can move beyond the stereotypes associated with an actor’s perceived regional identity.
Inspector Zende Brought a New Audience
Oak said her work in Inspector Zende has helped introduce her to viewers who may not have followed her career previously.
She described the renewed recognition as particularly meaningful because it has also translated into greater interest in her theatre work.
The actress said audience members have approached her after theatre performances and told her that they began watching theatre after discovering her through social media or one of her films.
For Oak, that movement of audiences between cinema, streaming, social media and theatre represents one of the most rewarding outcomes of her recent visibility.
“A Strange Game of Perception”
Girija Oak’s comments highlight how casting can involve more than an actor’s performance skills. In her experience, perceptions surrounding appearance, language, ethnicity, age and regional identity can all influence how performers are considered for particular characters.
At the same time, her recent roles demonstrate the range that can emerge when actors are considered beyond familiar industry stereotypes.
For Oak, the ability to move between Marathi and Hindi projects—and between film, streaming and theatre—has become an important part of her career.
