Shruti (actress)

Shruti (born Girija; 18 September 1975), is an Indian actress, television personality and politician. She is known for her work predominantly in Kannada language films and in a few Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and Tulu films. She has appeared in more than 160 films, out of which she has been cast in leading role in over 130 films. More than half of the movies are female-oriented, thereby making her one of the very few actresses in Indian cinema to have been successfully cast in more number of heroine oriented movies. She has won three Karnataka State Film Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards South in her illustrious career spanning over 35 years. She is considered one of the most successful and legendary actresses of Kannada cinema and film critics often position her in line with the legendary Kalpana, Manjula and Aarathi. She is fondly called as Kannadada Manemagalu, Kannera Rani (Queen of Tears), Emotional Queen, Karpoorada Gombe and Punching Queen (in Television).

Shruti was among the leading actresses in Kannada cinema during the 1990s and early 2000s who featured in the lead roles in several commercially successful, female centric and critically acclaimed films such as Shruthi (1990), Muddina Maava (1993), Aagatha (1995), Karpoorada Gombe, Kalki (both 1996), Gowdru (2004), Rama Shama Bhama (2005), Akka Thangi (2008) and Puttakkana Highway (2011). In the later years, she switched to character roles and won laurels for her performances in Kalpana (2012), Gombegala Love (2013), Rathnan Prapancha, Bhajarangi 2 (both 2021), Kaatera (2023) and Maadeva (2025). She is the only actress in Kannada cinema to have been portrayed successfully in all sorts of roles such as the emotional roles, comedy roles and villain. She is the only actress in Kannada cinema (perhaps in the entire Indian cinema) to have been recognised as "Manemagalu". People consider her more of a girl next door rather than as a superstar actress.

Shruti is the sister of actor Sharan. In 2016, she won the third season of the reality television show Bigg Boss Kannada. She has continued to appear in Television as a judge for reality shows such as Majaa Talkies and Kwaatle Kitchen.

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. She also served as chief secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party's women's wing in its Karnataka cadre. In 2020, she was appointed as the Chairperson of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation.