Girija Oak Godbole has finally addressed the comparisons being drawn between her and Hollywood stars Sydney Sweeney and Monica Bellucci after she found herself at the centre of sudden online attention. The Marathi actor, who went viral after clips of her interview—where she appeared in a blue sari—circulated widely, has spoken about how admiration quickly slid into objectification.In a recent conversation with Hauterrfly, Girija reflected on how the internet’s gaze often reduces women to their bodies, whether they are Indian actors or global stars.
‘That’s all people talk about’
Reacting to being likened to Sydney Sweeney and Monica Bellucci, Girija pointed out how such comparisons are rarely about talent or body of work. “That’s all people talk about,” she said, referring to how conversations around actresses often centre on their bodies.She cited an example involving Sydney Sweeney to explain how deliberate the gaze can be. “I saw a video where she was talking about something else, but the subtitles were placed on either side of her breasts—so while you read, you’re also looking. And people praised the alignment, saying the person deserves 100 marks. That’s the gaze.”While Girija acknowledged that some celebrities may consciously lean into such attention, she stressed that the core issue lies elsewhere. “If that is her choice, then it’s fine. The problem is people don’t understand agency. They don’t understand a woman’s choice,” she said, underlining the difference between self-expression and forced objectification.
Fame and its darker side
The comparisons emerged alongside Girija being dubbed the “national crush,” a label that followed her sudden viral popularity. However, the attention also brought with it disturbing consequences, including morphed and AI-generated nude images and unsettling direct messages.“A lot of people sent me photos and videos—AI-generated. It’s absurd,” she said, explaining how the images were clearly manipulated but still deeply invasive. “In those images, my clothes are missing, but my body language is the same. Same couch, same setting. It looks bizarre.”
‘Choice is the key difference’
Girija also addressed arguments made by some users who tried to justify such edits by pointing to intimate scenes performed by actors on screen. “I was told in comments and DMs—when you do kissing scenes, when you wear less clothes because you’re an actor, you don’t have a problem. Then why now?” she revealed. Calling out the entitlement behind such logic, she said, “You see the entitlement? The lack of understanding of choice? Whether I want to do a scene or not—that is my choice. That is very different from your AI-generated version.”
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