Avantika Vandanapu

She has worked in several Indian films in the Telugu language. She had her first lead role Disney Channel original movie Spin (2021) and subsequently starred in Netflix’s Senior Year (2022). She is best known for her portrayal of Karen Shetty in the musical comedy Mean Girls (2024).

Avantika Vandanapu was born to an Indian, Telugu-speaking family in Union City, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Her family originally hails from Hyderabad in Telangana, India before they emigrated to the United States. She took drama lessons at the American Conservatory Theater.

In 2014, Avantika won second place in the Zee TV dance competition reality series Dance India Dance L'il Masters (North America Edition).

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, which was released in February 2016. However, due to the scheduling conflicts, she could not continue with the movie. Avantika officially debuted as a child artist in Brahmotsavam starring Mahesh Babu, Kajal Aggarwal, Samantha and Pranitha Subhash which started shooting on September 16, 2015. 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. 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".

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. 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".

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. The movie received mixed reviews from critics, however, her performance was praised. Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw lauded Avantika as the highlight "among the mean girls," adding that "she gets the movie’s best song". Speaking about the change in Karen's ethnicity from the original film, Avantika thought "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". Following this, she returned to Indian projects with the Amazon Prime series Big Girls Don't Cry (2024) as a closeted lesbian who struggles to balance her passion for basketball and personal relationships. In a mixed review for Film Companion, Rahul Desai criticised that "it feels like every character is fighting to be the protagonist. Nobody is willing to cede the stage," but added that the series is "built on a good ensemble cast. The young actors share a natural relationship with the camera. Each of them is sharp and perceptive; their dialogue delivery and facial expressions are calibrated to fit the whims of everyday energy".

Avantika will next be seen amongst an ensemble in the Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen-helmed Tarot and is set to headline the Disney+ original series A Crown of Wishes, based on the 2017 novel of the same name.

Avantika currently resides in New York City. She attends Columbia University as a member of the class of 2027.

Film

Television