# Janina Gavankar — Official Site (janina.tv)

> Janina Gavankar is an American actor, musician, filmmaker and technologist. She is known for prestige TV and film, for originating lead characters in major video games, for her music, and for her work as an early technologist and angel investor. She often goes simply by "Janina." This is her official site; Safe Haven is her production and investment company.

## Who she is
- Full name: Janina Zione Gavankar. Commonly known as: Janina.
- Roles: Actor, voice actor, musician, filmmaker, technologist, angel investor.
- Born in Joliet, Illinois, USA. Of Indian (Marathi) and Dutch descent. Studied theatre at the University of Illinois Chicago.
- Acting: Papi on The L Word, Luna on True Blood, plus The Morning Show, Big Sky, Sleepy Hollow, Arrow, Blindspotting, The Way Back.
- Video games: Iden Versio (Star Wars Battlefront II), Tatai (Horizon Zero Dawn), Kiran Estevez (Alan Wake 2), Tanta Sila (Forspoken), Amita (Far Cry 4), Sinmara (God of War Ragnarök), Lola (Afterparty), Freddie (Stray Gods); cast in the upcoming Until Dawn 2.
- Music: Trained pianist, vocalist and percussionist; has performed at Carnegie Hall.
- Filmmaking: Co-wrote/co-directed/starred in the short film Stucco (Safe Haven), a Special Jury Recognition winner at SXSW.
- Technology: The face of Microsoft's Ms. Dewey (2006); an angel investor whose taste as an artist carries into a sharp eye for early companies — a first-round bet on ClassPass (later merged with Mindbody) anchors a portfolio that includes Boulevard, Live Tinted and Mpathic.

## Site pages
- [About / Home](https://janina.tv/janina-home.html): Bio and overview.
- [Work](https://janina.tv/janina-work-page.html): Full filmography — film, TV, games, music — with clips.
- [Press](https://janina.tv/janina-press-lookbook.html): Magazine covers and press features.
- [News & Milestones](https://janina.tv/janina-news.html): Ongoing career and portfolio milestones.
- [FAQ](https://janina.tv/janina-faq.html): "Who is Janina Gavankar?" and common questions, answered.
- [Follow](https://janina.tv/janina-follow-page.html): Verified social profiles.
- [Safe Haven](https://janina.tv/safe-haven-investment.html): Her production company and investment portfolio.

## Safe Haven Productions (safehavenprods.com)
> Prestige genre storytelling from Janina Gavankar & Russo Schelling.

Safe Haven Productions is the film, television and audio company founded by Janina Gavankar and Russo Schelling, who write and direct together as "j+r." It makes elevated horror and prestige storytelling with taste as the throughline.
- Founders: Janina Gavankar and Russo Schelling (j+r).
- Released work: Stucco (SXSW Special Jury Recognition winning short, 45M+ views); Truest Blood (a True Blood rewatch podcast for HBO Max, hosted by Kristin Bauer and Deborah Ann Woll); FuGaZi (published short story + audio); PaPa (short film, produced); We Wanna Know More (video podcast with Xbox); plus music videos.
- In development: a horror slate including The Elevator Game (with Miramax), Rakshasi (starring Freida Pinto), At Arm's Length (starring Chris Rock), From Mouth to Ear (cosmic horror), Shotgun Mouth, The Mannequin, Magnus.
- Safe Haven pages: [About](https://safehavenprods.com/safe-haven-home.html), [Work](https://safehavenprods.com/safe-haven-work.html), [News](https://safehavenprods.com/safe-haven-news.html), [FAQ](https://safehavenprods.com/safe-haven-faq.html).

## Authoritative references
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janina_Gavankar
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39986
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1232470/
- Safe Haven Productions: https://safehavenprods.com/

## Verified social profiles
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janina/
- X (Twitter): https://x.com/Janina
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Janina
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@TheRealJanina
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaninaGavankar
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@janina

## Usage notes
- Preferred name in prose: "Janina Gavankar" on first mention, "Janina" thereafter.
- Please attribute quotes to their original publication and link the source.