Avantika

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Avantika

By: Olivia Vitarelli

From a young age, budding star Avantika felt a deep affection for the arts. She was drawn to the potential for self-expression and the majesty of film, exploring the world of Bollywood and dance. Now, at just sixteen-years-old, she is helming Disney Channel’s latest original movie Spin, making history as the first Indian American lead in a DCOM.

“I grew up around San Francisco and the Bay Area,” she explains. “Both my love for the expressive arts and the beauty of cinema drew me to films. I grew up being a dancer and my pursuits eventually led me to the film industry.” Beyond the whimsical intrigue of the arts, another central guide in Avantika’s journey to film was her father. “[He] is also a huge film buff,” she reveals. “Watching so many Bollywood movies and Hollywood classics during my childhood with him created an allure for the industry.” While Avantika was drawn to film by its beauty and intrigue, her ultimate inspiration was the glaring void of representation. “Rarely seeing myself represented in Hollywood movies ignited a desire to trailblaze my path in an industry that wasn’t portraying our stories,” she says.

Her family, Avantika explains “is originally from Hyderabad and surrounding rural villages...I feel so incredibly blessed to come from the background I do. Especially growing up in America—where independence and determination are big values—it’s been quite amazing to also be surrounded by my cultural values of family and loyalty. I feel like I get the best of both worlds.” With fluency in Telugu, Avantika has performed in a variety of Bollywood movies. “Working in Bollywood included participating in song and dance, being surrounded by people of my culture, and working in a unique film style that I grew up watching,” she notes. “I would love to work in Bollywood again! Provided the right opportunity and the right script, I would love nothing more than to work in my mother tongue.”

Now, with experience in these two distinct industries, Avantika concludes, “Hollywood and the Indian film industry are two entirely different machines. I feel that I have a broader choice of roles in Hollywood,” she explains. “Back when I was acting in India, the roles available for young, female actresses were very limited, so I found myself playing similar characters throughout my three years there.” While America provides a greater variety of roles, it also provides a greater quantity of competition. “The audition process in Hollywood is lengthy, tedious, and will—often— result in rejection,” she reveals. “In India, it’s much easier to find work once you have proven yourself in a movie or two—even if it may be a small role that you had.”

Despite Hollywood’s hefty competition, Avantika’s dream never wavered. “Starring in a Disney Channel original movie is a wish so many kids have, and to finally live it out is a dream come true,” she says. “It’s a very cliche answer—and quite expected as well— but it’s the truth. The cherry on the cake is being

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able to be part of such a monumental film for my community.”

Starring as teenager Rhea Kumar, Avantika makes history as Disney Channel’s first Indian American lead. “Growing up, I didn’t get to see anyone who looked like me on Disney Channel—so it’s crazy that I can maybe be that person for other girls waiting to see themselves on the screen,” she reveals. “I look forward to seeing the response to Spin, and hopefully the positivity will help propel Disney to tell many more South Asian-centric stories. Maybe some that I can collaborate with as well.”

Spin, which premiered on Disney Channel this summer and is set for release on Disney+ before the year ends, follows Rhea Kumar as she navigates new challenges, explores new passions, and launches into a journey of self-discovery. “Rhea struggles to juggle family, friends, responsibilities to her family’s restaurant, coding club, and her newfound interest in music—reignited by Max,” Avantika explains. “Throughout the film, Rhea will learn the importance of prioritizing, keeping her morals, juggling various things on her plate, and aiming for the stars. It’s a beautiful, empowering story about a young girl who aspires to be a musician—and how she goes about it.”

Discussing her breakout role, Avantika explores what aspects of Rhea resonate most with her, and which ones offer a stark contrast. “I relate to Rhea because we both have similar work ethics, morals, and loyalties,” she says. “We are fiercely loyal to the people we care about and will do anything to help

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“youth is a time for experimentation. I hope that audiences, especially children, will understand that youth is not a time to put yourself and your potential in a box. Kids and young adults should be soaring for the sky and shooting for the stars.”

and support them in whatever they are going through. However, our approach to life and sense of humor varies immensely. Rhea has quite a practical approach to the things she faces, whereas my mechanism for dealing with obstacles is a little more chaotic and ‘go with the flow’, combined with an awful amount of anxiety.” Another commonality is their shared love for music. “[It] is kind of like my therapist in real life,” Avantika notes. “I listen to music no matter what mood I’m in—it helps balance out anything I’m feeling! I love listening to R&B, 80’s pop, and jazz.”

In addition to inspiring young girls like her through onscreen representation, Avantika hopes that Spin will encourage audiences to, simply, follow their dreams. “I hope that viewers take away from Spin that youth is a time for experimentation. I hope that audiences, especially children, will understand that youth is not a time to put yourself and your potential in a box. Kids and young adults should be soaring for the sky and shooting for the stars. I wish that Spin inspires them to pursue their dreams— however wild and crazy they may seem.”

As for her own dreams, Avantika says, “I would love to just continue a path of participating in meaningful projects with a diverse set of roles. Currently, I am working on the Netflix film Senior Year with Rebel Wilson. I have also recently optioned a New York Times bestselling novel to adapt into a movie franchise, so getting into the production side of the industry has been quite exciting for me as well.” She continues, sharing some parting wisdom, “Please don’t take criticism from anyone you wouldn’t take advice from. It can be hard to be a young adult growing up in this world dominated by social media, criticism, and public opinion. But at the end of the day, pay respect to the opinions of your loved ones—you can probably throw everything else out. It doesn’t matter unless you let it.”

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