Quicksplained: Meet Indian-origin actor Avantika Vandanapu, South Asian Person of the Year

Indians making their Hollywood debut and leaving their mark is no longer a surprise.

The latest one to join the long list of Asian actors is Avantika Vandanapu.

The Indian-American actor has been named the South Asian Person of the Year by Harvard University on Wednesday.

The Mean Girls star was reportedly recognised for her outstanding achievements and impact on both the international and Indian entertainment industries.

“Being honoured by such a prestigious institution as Harvard University is truly humbling and incredibly motivating. This award not only acknowledges my efforts but also underscores the significance of narratives transcending borders and the crucial role of Indian representation in global media,” she said, as per NDTV.

Here’s all we know about the young actor.

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Who is Avantika Vandanapu?

• Vandanapu was born to a Hyderabad-origin Telugu family in California’s San Francisco Bay in the United States, according to the news channel.

• The home-schooled Californian discovered her artistic calling at the early age of five, as per The Khaleej Times.

• Vandanapu attended drama lessons at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco to hone her acting skills. She has also undergone acting training at Anupam Kher’s acting studio in Mumbai.

• She made her acting debut at the age of 10 with the Mahesh Babu-starrer 2016 film Brahmatosavam and later appeared in multiple Telugu films like Naga Chaitanya’s Premam, Rarandoi Veduka Chudham, and Pawan Kalyan’s Agyaathavaasi, as per The Hindu.

• The 19-year-old made her Tamil debut with the Aishwarya Rajesh-starrer Boomika.

• The actor transitioned to Hollywood, making her lead debut with the Disney original Spin in 2021. She was also featured in the 2022 comedy film titled Senior Year, MOXIE!, TV series such as The Wilde Bunch, Brat, Prince Ea, Brownies, Teen Depression PSA and theatricals like High School Musical and Aladdin Broadway Jr.

• In Mean Girls, which was released in January this year, Vandanapu portrays airheaded Karen Shetty, a re-imagination of the same role that Amanda Seyfried played in the 2004 film.

• Last month, the actor debuted in the Indian OTT series Big Girls Don’t Cry.

• Besides acting, she is trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz and Indian classical Kathak and Kuchipudi dance forms, according to The Khaleej Times. She also participated in the North American edition of Zee TV’s reality series Dance India Dance Li’l Masters, securing the first runner-up spot, earning the moniker of a young “Madhuri Dixit.”

• She currently lives in New York and is pursuing Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University, as per Vogue India.

• Meanwhile, Vandanapu is currently receiving backlash for rumours of her playing Princess Rapunzel in a live-action version of the 2010 animated Disney film Tangled. Netizens shared their disappointment over a South Asian actor playing the fictional character.

With inputs from agencies