You probably recognize her as the "I'm a mouse, duh" girl from the 2024 Mean Girls musical. Or maybe you saw her getting chased by a skeletal entity in Tarot. But if you think Avantika Vandanapu just fell out of the sky and landed on a Hollywood red carpet, you're missing about ten years of context.
Honestly, the "overnight success" narrative is such a lie in her case.
Before she was Karen Shetty, she was a veteran of the Indian film industry. She was a child star in Tollywood. She was a voice actor for Disney. She's been working basically since she was ten years old. If you're looking for tv shows with avantika vandanapu, you have to look across two different continents and several different genres.
The Disney Years: Where it All Started (in the US)
Most American audiences first caught a glimpse of Avantika on Disney+. She didn't just jump into lead roles; she paid her dues in the streaming trenches.
In Diary of a Future President, she played Monyca. Not Monica with a 'C', but Monyca with a 'Y'. She was part of the "yellow sneakers" group, that middle-school clique that felt all too real. It was a supporting role, sure, but she brought this grounded energy to the show that made the high-stakes world of sixth grade feel authentic.
Then there's the voice work.
People forget she’s the voice of Kamala in Mira, Royal Detective. It’s a huge deal for South Asian representation, but since you don't see her face, it often gets left off the "must-watch" lists. She also did a stint on Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures as Sareena Tapoor.
If you're a parent or just a Disney completionist, these are the deep cuts you need.
That One Episode of The Sex Lives of College Girls
This is the one that always catches people off guard.
In Season 2, Episode 7, "The Getaway," she pops up as Priya. She's a friend of Leighton’s (Renée Rapp) and she’s essentially there to be the "cool, effortlessly chic" college girl. It’s a tiny role. Seriously, if you blink, you might miss her. But the chemistry between her and Renée Rapp was a fun precursor to them both being in the Mean Girls universe later.
It showed she could handle the more adult, "prestige" comedy vibe of Max just as well as the Disney Channel energy.
📖 Related: Pirates of the Caribbean Where to Watch: Every Way to Stream the Franchise Right Now
Big Girls Don't Cry: The Prime Video Powerhouse
If you want to see her actually lead a series, you have to watch Big Girls Don't Cry.
Released on Amazon Prime Video, this show is basically the Indian version of a prestige boarding school drama. Think Gossip Girl meets Derry Girls, but set in the fictional Vandana Valley School.
Avantika plays Leah Joseph.
Leah is complicated. She's a rebel, she’s dealing with the weight of expectations, and she’s trying to find her identity in a high-pressure environment. This isn't the bubbly, ditzy persona she played in Mean Girls. This is raw acting. It’s probably her best work to date because it allows her to use her natural "international" perspective.
The show handles:
- Female friendships that actually feel messy.
- The pressure of Indian academic culture.
- Coming-of-age tropes without the usual cringe factor.
The Reality TV Roots
Before the scripted dramas and the movies, there was Dance India Dance Li’l Masters North America.
This was back in 2014.
She wasn't even an actress yet; she was a dancer. She took second place. That’s actually how she got discovered for the Indian film industry. Directors saw her "expressive face" while she was performing and started calling her for auditions.
If you can find old clips on YouTube, it’s wild to see a ten-year-old Avantika performing with that much intensity. It explains why she’s so good at physical comedy now—she knows exactly how to move her body to get a laugh or land a beat.
The Tollywood Connection
Technically, these are movies, but in the world of Indian entertainment, the line between "TV star" and "Movie star" is much more porous, and many of these titles ended up as massive hits on Indian television networks like Zee TV and Star Maa.
📖 Related: Country Comfort by Elton John: The Tumbleweed Connection Hits 55
She appeared in:
- Brahmotsavam (Her debut)
- Manamantha
- Premam (The Telugu remake)
- Rarandoi Veduka Chudham
She usually played the "childhood" version of the lead actress. It’s a very specific niche, but it gave her the "set hours" and experience she needed to handle a massive Hollywood production later on.
Why You Should Care About Her Future TV Projects
Avantika is currently in that "producer-actor" phase of her career.
She’s developing a series called A Crown of Wishes for Disney+. It’s based on Roshani Chokshi’s fantasy novel. She isn't just starring in it as Princess Gauri; she’s an executive producer.
This is the shift.
She’s gone from being the "supporting friend" in a Disney show to the person literally running the show. For a 21-year-old, that’s an insane trajectory. Most people her age are still trying to figure out how to get an agent.
Summary of Where to Watch Her
| Show Title | Platform | Role Type |
|---|---|---|
| Big Girls Don't Cry | Prime Video | Lead (Leah Joseph) |
| Diary of a Future President | Disney+ | Recurring (Monyca) |
| Mira, Royal Detective | Disney Junior | Voice (Kamala) |
| Sex Lives of College Girls | Max | Guest (Priya) |
| Dance India Dance Li'l Masters | YouTube/Zee | Contestant |
What to Do Next
If you’re a fan of her work in Mean Girls and want to see what she’s actually capable of, go watch Big Girls Don't Cry on Prime Video. It’s the most "human" performance she’s given.
After that, keep an eye on the trades for updates on A Crown of Wishes. It’s likely to be her big "prestige" television moment. Also, if you haven't seen her Disney Channel movie Spin, it’s worth a watch just for the DJ sequences—it's basically a feature-length pilot for her as a leading lady.
Skip the fluff and the "top 10" lists that only mention her movies. Her TV work is where the real growth is happening.