Mean Girls Star Avantika Vandanapu Says Making Her Debut With Mahesh Babu Was A Dream Come True

Tollywood actor Avantika Vandanapu had a remarkable journey from Tollywood to Hollywood. She recently appeared in the 2024 reboot of Tina Fey’s iconic film Mean Girls and shared insights into her career aspirations in a candid interview.

Avantika Vandanapu on Mahesh Babu

Avantika's journey began with her debut in the Telugu film industry with the 2016 hit Brahmotsavam starring alongside the renowned Mahesh Babu. Reflecting on her experience, she expressed her admiration for Mahesh and described the opportunity to work with him as a dream come true.

Recalling her roots as a child artiste in India, Avantika shared how her early exposure to the industry nurtured her passion for acting. Avantika told 123 Telugu, “To have my first opportunity in Tollywood with Mahesh was nothing short of a dream come true. Working as a child artiste in India, especially in my mother tongue, helped me become comfortable with the idea of pursuing a career in entertainment as a child.”

Avantika said she would love to work in India

In the same interview, Avantika shared her aspirations to collaborate with esteemed directors in both Tollywood and Bollywood. Expressing her admiration for filmmakers such as Rajamouli, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sekhar Kammula, and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, she expressed her desire to portray strong and nuanced female characters crafted by these visionary directors.

Avantika's recent milestone includes her role as Karen Shetty in the 2024 reboot of Mean Girls which premiered in the US on January 9. Her portrayal of Karen Shetty has garnered praise from audiences and critics alike. Alongside Avantika, the film features a talented cast including Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, and Christopher Briney.

While Mean Girls awaits its release in India, Avantika has already made strides in her upcoming projects. She has recently completed filming for a horror movie titled Tarot and is set to appear in the Prime Video show BGDC.