Avantika Vandanapu, an actor who is garnering popularity for her portrayal of Karen Smith in the reimagined Mean Girls, is garnering attention on social media. Her journey from being a well-known child actor in significant Telugu films to her current Hollywood success is generating a lot of buzz on social media, with fans expressing pride in her accomplishments and others hating and trolling her for being considered for roles that they believe are unsuitable for a South Asian girl.
Heading into Mean Girls, Avantika Vandanapu was bracing for the worst. "I had mentally prepared for everyone to dislike me," she said in an interview with USA Today. So the 19-year-old actor, known simply as Avantika, was pleasantly surprised when many considered her Karen Shetty the standout of the musical remake. The movie has already given her "pull in rooms that I didn't know I could get into before," she teases.
Who Is Avantika Vandanapu?
Avantika's filmography in Telugu includes collaborations with renowned actors like Pawan Kalyan in Agnyathaavasi and Mahesh Babu in Brahmotsavam, along with appearances alongside Nani and Naga Chaitanya in various other movies. Though she grew up in California, Avantika started acting professionally in India in 2016. South Asian representation in Hollywood was "nowhere near where it is at now," she says, and her mom feared sending her into an American film industry that felt "inherently against" people who look like her.
In India, though, Avantika found that roles typically dry up for adolescents and soon landed the lead in 2021's "Spin," the Disney Channel's first movie centred on an Indian American character. After transitioning into American productions, she also had parts in "Diary of a Future President," "Senior Year" and "The Sex Lives of College Girls" before achieving widespread acclaim for her outstanding performance in Mean Girls.
Actor Makes Drastic Transformation With Mean Girls
Subsequently, she gained attention with the film Moxie, which was well-received by both critics and audiences. Her comedic role in senior year showcased her versatility before making a lasting impression with Mean Girls.
An aspect that adds to Avantika's impressive transformation is her need to learn to sing for the role in Mean Girls. Initially apprehensive about the challenge, she managed to deliver a remarkable performance. As a trained dancer, Avantika also showcased her dance skills in Mean Girls, setting the dance floor ablaze.
Avantika Vandanapu's remarkable transformation became a hot topic of discussion on the internet, with many expressing their astonishment at her journey.
Post-Mean Girls, Avantika is set to take on another significant role as she stars in and executive produces a live-action young-adult series for Disney titled A Crown of Wishes. Her character, Princess Gauri, is anticipated to make her the youngest-ever South Asian teen to achieve this feat.
The past year has marked a period of change for Avantika, who also moved to New York to study cultural anthropology at Columbia University.
"The running assumption in my extended family has always been that my parents let me do acting because I was stupid, and because I wasn't good at school," she reported saying. "And I really, really hated that this was the narrative—that somebody had to choose to be an artist because of a lack of capability to succeed in an academic environment."
But balancing work and academics has been difficult, Avantika says, so she's taking a temporary leave from college with plans to return next semester. "Realizing when is a good time to take a break and not burn myself out and prioritize has been helpful," she says.
Avantika Addresses Colourism in India and Media Representation
Avantika recently spoke out about the issue of colourism in India and how it affects perceptions of darker-skinned women, especially from South India. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, the 19-year-old actor, who uses only her first name, expressed her concerns about Indian beauty standards and their negative impact on women with her complexion and darker skin.
"I have definitely always felt uglier in India than I have here. The colourism situation is primarily one of the biggest reasons why." she shared.
Avantika pointed out that both American and Indian media she consumed while growing up rarely portrayed people who looked like her. She observed that North Indian and light-skinned women tended to dominate these platforms, leaving little room for the representation of darker-skinned individuals.
"I'm South Indian, and there's this perception that North Indian women are more beautiful than South Indian women. And the South Indian women who do reach insane levels of success in India are very light-skinned — some have become lighter-skinned,” she explained.
Despite these challenges, Avantika sees a positive shift in Western media, which she believes is starting to embrace South Asian women with darker complexions. She expressed joy at seeing actresses like Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley in Bridgerton Season 2.
"So seeing myself represented in ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2’s Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley — beautiful, dusky-skinned women … in Hollywood has made me so, so happy," she said. Avantika's comments highlight the ongoing issue of colourism in India, where lighter skin is often unfairly equated with beauty and success.
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