Janina Gavankar Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi

Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an Indian-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, Leigh Turner, a cop with a big secret on "The Gates", 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... MORE

Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an Indian-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, Leigh Turner, a cop with a big secret on "The Gates", 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, Shan-de-Mohra is half-Indian half-Dutch, from Pune, India. Her father, Pete Gavankar, is an Indian engineer who first travelled to the United States to pursue a masters degree. Gavankar's more notable roles include Papi in The L Word, and Ms. Dewey, a Microsoft marketing character. She has also appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop and its LESS