Avantika Vandanapu | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Union City, California, U.S. | January 25, 2005
Nationality | American |
Education | Columbia University |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2015–present |
Website | iamavantika |
Avantika Vandanapu (born January 25, 2005), [2] known mononymously as Avantika, is an American actress of Indian descent. Avantika began her acting career in the Telugu film industry with the 2016 film Brahmotsavam. Following this, she proceeded to work on multiple projects within Telugu cinema.
She then transitioned to American cinema and had her first lead role in the Disney Channel original movie Spin (2021) and subsequently starred in Netflix’s Senior Year (2022). A turning point in her career came with supporting roles in the musical comedy Mean Girls and the horror film Tarot (both 2024).
Avantika Vandanapu was born to an Indian Telugu family in Union City, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. [3] [4] Her family originally hails from Hyderabad in India before they emigrated to the United States. She took drama lessons at the American Conservatory Theater. [5]
Avantika currently resides in New York City. [6] She attends Columbia University as a member of the class of 2027. [6] [7]
In 2014, Avantika won second place in the Zee TV dance competition reality series Dance India Dance L'il Masters (North America Edition). [8]
Avantika entered Telugu cinema in 2015 and was signed for two movies. She was selected to play the role of Chutki in 14 Reels Entertainment's Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha (2016), however, scheduling conflicts forced her to leave during production. Avantika officially debuted as a child artist in Brahmotsavam (2016) starring Mahesh Babu. She then appeared in Chandra Shekhar Yeleti's film Manamantha . Later, she signed on for Premam starring Naga Chaitanya and Shruti Hassan, in which she portrays the younger version of Madonna Sebastian's character. [9] Avantika revealed that the key reason for her departure from Telugu cinema was the lack of variety in the roles she was offered which mainly consisted of playing the "heroine" or a "small supporting role". [10]
In 2021, Avantika played the lead role of Rhea Kumar in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Spin alongside Meera Syal, Abhay Deol and Aryan Simhadri. [11] The film, along with her performance, received positive reception from critics with Udita Jhunjhunwala of Firstpost describing her as a "delight'' further praising "[her] sparkling eyes, [as] she glides through the restaurant with as much ease as she finds her groove behind the mixing console". [12] She followed this with a supporting role in the unremarkable Netflix original film Senior Year starring Rebel Wilson. [13]
In 2024, Avantika portrayed Karen Shetty in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Mean Girls , based on the 2004 movie of the same name. [14] She had to a "temporary leave of absence" from university to accommodate the timings required for shooting. [15] The film received mixed reviews from critics, however, her performance was well-received. [16] Writing for The Guardian , Peter Bradshaw commended Avantika as the standout "amongst the mean girls". [17] Discussing the change in Karen's ethnicity from the original film, Avantika expressed how "playing that kind of character, especially as an Indian American woman is really, really crazy," adding that she was "excited to finally play a South Asian character that wasn’t reduced to being a stereotype". [18] The Times of India noted that the role helped to establish her presence in American cinema. [19]
Following this, she returned to Indian projects with the Amazon Prime series Big Girls Don't Cry as a closeted lesbian who struggles to retain her basketball captaincy whilst coming to terms with her sexuality. [20] In a mixed review for Film Companion , Rahul Desai criticised that the number of characters in the series made it difficult to maintain focus to the nuances of each character's storyline but praised the chemistry and performances of the cast. [21] Avantika then appeared amongst an ensemble in the Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen-helmed Tarot. [22] Her decision to take on the role was influenced by her mother's belief in astrology, rooted in their Hindu faith, and her own interest in the occult during her youth as the film amalgamated the two. [23] The film was panned by critics; [24] in her review for Collider , Emma Kiely found that Avantika's performance had been constrained as she "isn't given enough to do" and compared it unfavourably to her performance in Mean Girls. [25] Made on a shoestring-budget, the film emerged as a major commercial success. [26]
Avantika is set to headline the Disney+ original series A Crown of Wishes, based on the 2017 novel of the same name. [27] She will also star alongside Maddie Ziegler in the thriller film Ballerina Overdrive. [28]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Brahmotsavam | Babu's cousin | ||
Manamantha | Swathi | |||
Premam | Young Sindhu | |||
2017 | Rarandoi Veduka Chudham | Young Bhramarambha | ||
Balakrishnudu | Young Aadhya | |||
Oxygen | Herself | |||
2018 | Agnyaathavaasi | Sampath's daughter | ||
2021 | Spin | Rhea Kumar | [29] | |
Boomika | Boomika | Tamil film | [30] | |
Moxie | Chem Class Girl | Credited as Avantika Vandanapu | ||
2022 | Senior Year | Janet Singh | [31] | |
2024 | Mean Girls | Karen Shetty | [14] [32] [33] | |
Tarot | Paige | |||
TBA | Ballerina Overdrive [34] | Filming |
† | Denotes series that have not yet been released |
Year | Series | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Dance India Dance L'il Masters (North America Edition) | Herself | Contestant | |
2018 | The Talent Show | [35] | ||
2019 | Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures | Sareena Tapoor, additional voice | Recurring voice role | |
2020 | Diary of a Future President | Monyca | Recurring role (season one) | |
Mira, Royal Detective | Kamala | Recurring voice role | ||
2022 | The Sex Lives of College Girls | Priya | Guest role | |
2023 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Guest diner/Teen Cancer America contributor; Episode: A Hellish Food Fight | |
2024 | Big Girls Don’t Cry | Ludo | [36] | |
TBA | A Crown of Wishes† | Princess Gauri | Main cast; also executive producer | [37] |
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