Janina Gavankar

Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician of mixed Indian and Dutch descent. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Gavankar's is known for her more notable roles as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in The L Word, and Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft branded search engine who comment... more

Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician of mixed Indian and Dutch descent. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Gavankar's is known for her more notable roles as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in The L Word, and Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft branded search engine who comments about the user's searches. Gavankar has appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Gavankar was born in Joliet, Illinois, to Pete and Mohra Gavankar. Her maternal grandmother was Dutch, and her mother, Mohra, is Indian-Dutch. As of 2004, she is in a relationship with DeviantArt CEO Angelo Sotira. Gavankar's more notable roles include Papi in The L Word, and Ms. Dewey, she has also appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as... less