Indian-American actress Avantika Vandanapu, who is receiving appreciation for her performance in Big Girls Don’t Cry, shared her aspiration to be part of Indian cinema, stating she has grown up watching films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Veer Zaara.
Avantika has made her mark in several Hollywood projects, including Mean Girls, Spin, and Senior Years, among others. Reflecting on her journey, Avantika shared, “It’s truly surreal to come full circle and return to India, from my roots as a child actor to now leading a Hindi series like Big Girls Don’t Cry. This homecoming feels like a dream come true. Since my childhood, I have been watching Yash Chopra films like Chandni, Veer Zaara, DDLJ, Darr etc and fell in love with Indian cinema and developed that desire to work in Bollywood films. I love the colour, emotions and cheerful Indian movies and cannot wait to be a part of them.”
Big Girls Don’t Cry, is a coming-of-age school drama set against the backdrop of a fictionalised all-girls boarding school. In Big Girls Don’t Cry, Avantika portrays Leah Joseph, one of the lead characters, in a series created by Nitya Mehra and directed by a team including Sudhanshu Saria, Karan Kapadia, and Kopal Naithani.
The women-led ensemble cast features Aneet Padda, Dalai, Vidushi, Lhakyila, Afrah Sayed and Akshita Sood, Pooja Bhatt, Raima Sen, and Zoya Hussain in pivotal roles, along with Mukul Chadda. Big Girls Don’t Cry is currently streaming on Prime Video.
