Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveYoung leader Shiva Rajbhandari is passionate about climate justice and students’ rights

Young leader Shiva Rajbhandari is passionate about climate justice and students’ rights

Written by: Team GI Youth

(March 25, 2023) About six days after her 18th birthday, Indian American activist Shiva Rajbhandari announced his candidacy for the Boise, Idaho School Board of Trustees elections earlier this year. And in a historic run, the young climate leader, who has been quite vocal about the various natural disasters, unseated the far-right 47-year-old incumbent. A climate change leader, activist, and prolific writer – this 18-year-old teenager is all that, and much more. According to the youngster, his win marks a much-needed, long-overdue change for Boise and represents the irrefutable power of young people mobilizing together to make a change. “I definitely did not expect to be running for office at this age. But I just came to realize how important it was to try to establish a student voice on the school board,” the young leader said soon after winning the elections. “We don’t always get taken seriously as students. So, then it’s on us to take that responsibility on, to fight for our futures,” he added.

Leader | Shiva Rajbhandari | Global Indian

Recognised by Teen Vogue‘s ‘21 Under 21’, Shiva is a vocal gun violence prevention activist and has protested state policies aimed at restricting what students can learn. In fact, about three years back, when he was merely 15, he organised roughly 75 students to protest Chase Bank’s financing of fossil fuels. At 16, Shiva also confronted Idaho’s lieutenant governor, Janice McGeachin, about the task force she had set up to ‘examine indoctrination in Idaho education’. Although he has had a long journey as an activist, the young leader believes that he is just getting started. “Activism takes place at the intersection of your interests, your skills, and your community’s needs. From artists to writers to speakers to scientists, there is room for everybody in our movement,” the Global Indian said in his speech.

Coming of age

As a young boy, Shiva Rajbhandari would listen to his father quite intently talking about the climate crisis and how deforestation has affected tribal lives. And it wasn’t long after that the teenager started running various campaigns against climate change, gun violence, and various other issues that plague society today. “As I grew in my activism, I began working for tribal justice, voting rights, and gun violence prevention,” the young leader, who started off working in climate activism, said during an interview, adding, “After a two-year long campaign to create a clean energy commitment and long-term sustainability plan in our school district, I decided to run for the school board.”

Suddenly, Chairman Skaug values student input it’s just that students in the legislature is a threat to parental rights. Yeah, we’re not buying it either. #LetStudentsSpeak pic.twitter.com/BiwBJIybV5

— Shiva Rajbhandari (he/him) (@_Shiva_R) January 27, 2023

He got involved with school board politics while working with students across the school district at the Idaho Climate Justice League, organising a clean energy commitment and long-term sustainability plan for his schools. “In the Boise school district, energy is our second largest expenditure and we could save about half of that energy budget each year by 2030 with this long-term sustainability plan,” he shared, adding, “I sent a letter to our school board president asking for a meeting. I didn’t immediately get a response, but I know he read the letter because about a week later, I was called to my principal’s office and reprimanded for reaching out to our board members. To me, that highlighted this lack of student involvement in educational decision-making in our school district. That was when I decided to run for the school board and change that.”

The young leader wishes for students to be involved in all places where decisions are being made, but especially where decisions are being made in education. “As students, we are the primary stakeholders here – this is our education. But we were being told we didn’t belong in places where decisions about our education were being made. And so by the end of that meeting, I knew I wanted to run for the school board,” he said.

The plans ahead

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, Shiva’s top priority after winning the elections is working on establishing mental health counseling resources for the students – not just in his city or state, but the entire USA. “My top priority is mental health. We’re facing a mental health crisis. So, we need more counseling resources and need to destigmatise mental health in the classroom. And then, supporting teachers against these extremist attacks, and making sure they have the freedom to teach as they think is best, and feel respected. My teachers have given me the world – they are the reason I felt so empowered,” the climate change leader said.

A Young Climate Leader at the United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27), held in Egypt, Shiva wishes to work more on creating awareness about the burning issue. “I have participated in several projects to create awareness about this issue for years now. Currently, I am working on how my school can transition away from fossil fuels to a more sustainable source of energy. In the coming years, however, I wish to take my knowledge to the world,” the climate change leader said.

Follow Shiva Rajbhandari on LinkedIn and Twitter

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Published on 25, Mar 2023

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Diana Awardee Aditi Gera rose above toxicity to find sisterhood through Empowerette

(April 15, 2022) "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me..," said legendary American animator, Walt Disney, on the many challenges he overcame on his journey to success. For the 21-year-old Aditi Gera, early life wasn't uncomplicated either. The founder of Empowerette, Aditi recalls dealing with her share of hardships in school. "We were all girls but there was a lack of support and immense toxicity, with people competing with each other," says she in a conversation with Global Indian. Her initiative to bridge gaps in accessibility and opportunity for young, marginalised girls led her to win Diana Award in 2020. She has also been recognised as Ashoka Young Changemaker, and has been conferred Lead Like a Girl fellowship from Shenomics. [caption id="attachment_15033" align="aligncenter" width="592"] Aditi Gera, founder, Empowerette[/caption] Rising above adversity "There was an air of negativity and the absence of empathy, not just among students but from the teachers as well," says the young changemaker. With Empowerette, she wants to establish a sense of sisterhood that she found sorely lacking. "Women should lift each other up, instead of pulling one another down," says she. Aditi saw many women being forced to

"There was an air of negativity and the absence of empathy, not just among students but from the teachers as well," says the young changemaker. With Empowerette, she wants to establish a sense of sisterhood that she found sorely lacking. "Women should lift each other up, instead of pulling one another down," says she.

Aditi saw many women being forced to compromise on their ambitions and passions while remaining within the patriarchal and hierarchical societal structure that reigns in India. "My grandmother had roots in Pakistan. She came from an economically backward family with many siblings. She was married off at 12 and my grandfather was almost thrice her age," she mentions.

It was deeply disturbing when the youngster came to know about it. In contrast, at age 12, Aditi was playing state-level basketball. "It changed my perspective on how women are positioned in our society," she says.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Pdi5nyEuk[/embed]

The young changemaker describes her mother as a "highly intelligent, ambitious and smart woman. I have always looked up to her." She compromised on a career in the field of medicine in order to stay home and raise the kids. "To her, it seemed like a natural transition but I feel she could have done a lot more in her life."

Building a sisterhood

"A few years ago, I saw niece of my househelp being married off to a person who was nearly double her age. Clearly, things haven't changed much since my grandmother's time. It compelled me to start Empowerette," says the changemaker.

She and her team execute a one-on-one mentorship program enabling young girls in government schools to build their own identities and perceive themselves as leaders. "The programme is designed on a cohort-based model where we focus on developing leadership, confidence, communication and other career skill sets while paying attention to every individual's emotional well-being," Aditi explains.

Empowerette | Aditi Gera | Global Indian

After graduating as a finance major, Aditi has been working as a senior associate at Razorpay since the last four months. While enjoying the exposure at her maiden job, she devotes her weekends to Empowerette.

The empowerment journey

Aditi began Empowerette with four friends who were aligned with its vision. To carry forward the activities, they identified a government girls' school in their town, Ujjain. The pupils of this school are from rural areas and stay at the school hostel. However, convincing school authorities to believe in a bunch of nineteen-year-olds who wanted to add value to their students was an uphill task. The hostel warden, however, stepped up and made an effort to understand the intent behind their initiative. She also got the school management to agree to the proposal.

Today, Empowerette has grown to a team of seven, with plans to bring a couple of paid interns on board as well. All seven members have supported the cause as volunteers.

Mentoring young students

Empowerette is associated with two campuses catering to 120 girls in all. Around three hours every weekend are devoted to working with them. The process involves personality development with a focus on their leadership skills, improving communication skills and encouraging their curiosity and ability to dream.

The girls are taught societal norms and values to give them an informed vision so that they can contribute to society. They are also taught subjects like politics, healthcare, economic development and made aware of issues like climate change, and women's rights. "The girls themselves asked if they could be taught English, so we made that part of the Empowerette curriculum as well," Aditi says.

Motivation is key

"The idea is to maintain an engagement with these girls for as long as possible because changing a mindset takes time and cannot happen in a matter of weeks or even months," Aditi maintains. The team did not compromise on communication with the girls even during the pandemic. They conducted regular sessions over the phone to keep track of their growth and emotional well-being.

"Since the Empowerette team works voluntarily, keeping their excitement alive is paramount. The curiosity of the mentees also needs to be constantly stoked. Learning and developing new qualities is never easy considering the fact that the girls have been born into hardship. It's not a cakewalk to make them believe that the world is waiting for them," Aditi says, "If only they are able to present themselves to it."

On the personal front

Aditi wants to take up both business as well as social entrepreneurship in future. Her father, a businessman, is fully supportive of his daughter's dreams. The young changemaker also sees herself advocating for women's rights in the future and draws huge inspiration from women who have made a difference. “I really admire women in politics and those who have fought for the rights we now enjoy. One such person is Savitribai Phule. Girls in India are able to access basic education because she fought for these rights,” says the youngster.

[caption id="attachment_15036" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Aditi with her mother[/caption]

Aditi is an avid reader with a special inclination toward poetry by Tony Morrison, Mary Oliver, and the likes. With formal training in guitar and keyboard, she uses the instruments as a medium of rejuvenation. Though basketball has been her passion, a sudden interest in tennis is keeping her on toes, literally. In active support of a more equal world, Aditi is keen to take Empowerette to great heights by widening its reach.

Follow Aditi Gera on LinkedIn and Instagram

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‘Dhing Express’ Hima Das: The sprinter who is compared with a super-fast train

(October 5, 2022) Sprinter Hima Das created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at a track event at the  IAAF World U20 Championships in 2018 in Finland. Owing to her fantastic sports performances back-to-back, the Assam-born athlete was appointed as the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) under Assam’s state integrated sport policy in 2021. Proud to wear this uniform and fortunate enough to serve my state and my country on two fields. Hima posted on social media, donning her police uniform with pride. The Bannerghatta Biological Park named a tigress cub 'Hima' to honour the sprinter. The youngster also holds the national record for clocking 400 meters in 50.79 seconds at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. She is only the second athlete to have done her state proud by bringing home a gold at an international sporting event, after 1940-born Bhogeswar Baruah, who had won gold at the 1966 Asian Games. “I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com. [caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption] Journey of the Dhing Express Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after

r Baruah, who had won gold at the 1966 Asian Games.

“I don't show tension and nervousness but I know how fast my heart beats before a race,” Hima had admitted in an interview with Olympics.com.

[caption id="attachment_22672" align="aligncenter" width="713"] Hima Das with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption]

Journey of the Dhing Express

Born in 2000, Hima is nicknamed Dhing Express, after the town near which she was born in Assam. As a child, she aspired to become a football player and loved playing the sport with the boys of her school in the village. However, the physical education teacher of the school identified her talent as a sprinter and motivated her to take it further. Although Hima’s only experience was of running through her village’s muddy rice fields, she followed his advice and as they say, the rest is history!

Born in Kandhulimari village near Dhing, to a farmer couple named Ronjit and Jonali Das, Hima is the youngest of five siblings. She attended Dhing Public High School and later, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. After passing her senior secondary exam in 2019, Hima went on to pursue bachelor of arts in Cotton University, Assam.

[caption id="attachment_22670" align="aligncenter" width="751"] Sprinter on track[/caption]

Eventful achievements in the 18th year of life

2018 was an eventful year for the Global Indian. She won the 400 m final at the IAAF World U-20 Championships held at Tampere, Finland, clocking 51.46 seconds.

Indian track-and-field legend and former Olympian, PT Usha, gave the young athlete a rave review on social media:

Hima was inundated with congratulations from well-wishers across the country, including the president, Prime Minister, sport ministers and Bollywood personalities.

At the 2018 Asian Games, she qualified for the 400 m final, after clocking 51.00 in heat 1. She set a new Indian national record, even though it was the silver that came her way. The same year, the sprinter went on to improve the national record to 50.79 seconds in the 400 m final. 

[caption id="attachment_22696" align="alignnone" width="883"] Hima Das with Sourav Ganguly and Abhishek Bachchan[/caption]

Later, in August 2018, along with M. R. Poovamma, Sarita Gayakwad and V. K. Vismaya, the Dhing Express won women's 4 × 400 metres mix relay clocking 3:28.72 which was held for the first time at the Asian Games. This was the year of Hima’s international debut and not many sport lovers were aware of her. They soon learned, when multiple medals, with some historic ones, made her a household name. Hima was given the Arjuna Award by the President of India that year.

Roaring success with five golds in second year of her debut

Hima continued her superb performances the following year too. In July 2019, she won the 200m gold in Poznan Grand Prix in Poland at 23.65 seconds. She went on to win 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Poland with a time of 23.97 seconds just after five days of the first win. Within a week of her second win, she bagged her third gold at the Kladno Athletics meet in Czech Republic, clocking 23.43 seconds. That same month, she added a fourth to her kitty, this time at the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with 23.25 seconds. A fifth gold followed at the 400-metre event in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic with 52.09 seconds. In an astonishing 18-day period, between July 2 and July 20 2019, Hima won five golds and became a queen in the hearts of India's athletics fans.

So enormous was her success that the entire world took notice of the sprinting glory. “At this age, she has exhibited great courage and confidence. I didn’t see any sign of nervousness during the events,” remarked the ace sprinter, PT Usha on social media.

The athlete was being slotted for the World Championships to be held at Doha in October 2019 but unfortunately her participation had to be ruled out due to a back injury which kept her out of action for months.

Confidence and hope unaffected by injury

Though she has returned from the injury lay-off, she is returning one step at a time. She has been running 100m and 200m. “I have not cut (off) from running 400 meters. It (recuperating after injury) is a long process,” she said in an interview.

The right side of her back still gives quite a trouble. She has won 100m gold in the National Inter-State Championships with her personal best time of 10.43s.” "My L4 and L5 (two lowest vertebrae in the lumbar spine) were broken and was in a different position. Whenever I run it affects me. I did my physiotherapy and ran 30m, 40m, 50m, 100m and then 200m gradually. Till 300m, I am fine,” she told her eager fans.

The challenge...

The last 100 m of a 400-meter race is the most crucial as the sprinters have to pick a lot of speed, then. This is where Hima has been facing problems. Talking about the condition at a training stint in Poland, she said, “when I did that once I had to be taken to the hospital.” The committed athlete faced the same problem at National Inter-State Championships in Patiala in 2021 and got forced to pull out of the 100 m and 4 X 100 due to the pain. She even had to skip the Tokyo Olympics.

The sprinter was eagerly looking forward to come back with a bang at Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 but coming to the previous form required some more recuperation. She failed to qualify for the finals of the women's 200m in August 2022.

National Games 2022

The 36th National Games of India is being held in Gujarat from September 29 to October 12, 2022. India’s prestigious multi-event sporting competition has returned after a gap of seven years in Gujarat. It was last held in 2015 in Kerala. The nation wanted the ‘Dhing Express’ to come roaring back to action. However, she could not clinch the gold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=970H49AxWfo

She hasn’t lost hope and is looking forward to future events. Hima, is among an elite team of sports stars who have put India on the world map for athletics. She enjoys such a reputation that she will always be India’s ‘star sprinter’.

- Follow Hima Das on Facebook and Instagram

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In tune with Indian beats: Singaporean Chinese dancer’s Bharatanatyam journey

(March 26, 2023) Arangetram, the debut stage performance of Bharatanatyam dancers is a common affair but it made headlines in Singapore when Soo Mei Fei gave her first stage performance. With her one-and-half hour eclectic presentation, she not only made her gurus proud but also enthralled audiences who were watching a Singaporean Chinese female dancer perform Bharatanatyam for the first time on stage. In two years of her much-talked Arangetram, the twenty-six-year-old danseuse has carved a niche in the performing arts circuit of Singapore, becoming a familiar face in major events and festivals. "I'm blessed to learn Bharatanatyam," she said in an interview. "It's such a beautiful art. It's not been an easy journey but it has been extremely fulfilling. I want to train more,” she added. [caption id="attachment_28765" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Apsara Arts[/caption] It all started when… Soo Mei Fei was seventeen, she and her classmates at National Junior College of Singapore came across a poster that read, 'Indian dance, try-out'. Fascinated by the world of Bollywood, fourteen of them, mostly non-Indians, got interested thinking that the advertisement is about Bollywood dancing. However, much to their dismay, it turned out to be an Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam - something that they had neither heard of nor were able to pronounce correctly. All the youngsters dropped the idea of learning except Soo Mei Fei, who was intrigued by the dance form. She enrolled in the extra-curricular class,

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[caption id="attachment_28765" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Apsara Arts[/caption]

It all started when…

Soo Mei Fei was seventeen, she and her classmates at National Junior College of Singapore came across a poster that read, 'Indian dance, try-out'. Fascinated by the world of Bollywood, fourteen of them, mostly non-Indians, got interested thinking that the advertisement is about Bollywood dancing. However, much to their dismay, it turned out to be an Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam - something that they had neither heard of nor were able to pronounce correctly.

All the youngsters dropped the idea of learning except Soo Mei Fei, who was intrigued by the dance form. She enrolled in the extra-curricular class, and within a few days, she was completely captivated.

The urge to know all about the oldest dance form of India got stronger by the day. The youngster found herself spending hours in major libraries in and around Punggol, where she lives, devouring all the information that she could gather on Bharatanatyam. Watching performances extensively on YouTube to ace the craft became a favourite past time.

Learning from Vijaya Nadesan, her teacher at the extra-curricular class who also taught in Apsara Arts, a leading dance academy in Singapore, Soo Mei Fei enrolled at the academy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxAQej97w_o&t=51s

However, she had to deal with her own set of challenges in the process. Often taking more time than her Indian counterparts to grasp what was being taught, Soo Mei Fei also struggled to understand the lyrics of the Carnatic songs on which Bharatanatyam is performed. It was Google Translate that came to her rescue. With teachers also making extra efforts to help her, the youngster slowly started getting a grasp.

The dance academy required her to learn for two hours, but Mei Fei would spend the entire day watching other pupils and teachers dance, getting completely immersed in the world Bharatanatyam, enhancing her skills along the way.

Over the course of time, whether it was hastas (hand gestures), sthankas (leg and foot movement) or abhinaya (expression of emotions), the Singaporean Chinese dancer aced all, attaining perfection with her sheer dedication.

Connecting with the Indian culture

In the last decade, Soo Mei Fei has not just learned Bharatanatyam but also understood about the culture of India.

Today it’s hard to miss the Singaporean Chinese dancer even in a crowd because of her attire – the colourful Indian saris that she often adorns. While learning how to tie and carry herself in a sari was difficult initially, she is now an expert in it.

[caption id="attachment_28764" align="aligncenter" width="832"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Kaya, a publication of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore[/caption]

Due to her facial features, which are different from her Indian counterparts, Soo Mei Fei had to also put additional efforts to teach herself the make-up requirements that is pivotal to Bharatanatyam performances. “Most of my friends had their mums to help them get dressed but I had to learn lots of things on my own getting valuable tips from my friends and teachers along the way.”

The dancer devours Carnatic music. “It’s very rich. The lyrics and melody have a lot of meaning behind it. I understand the songs because I feel it,” she says. Since 2018 she has been also learning Odissi, another ancient Indian dance form.

The course of life

Indebted to her gurus for recognising the spark in her and working very hard to train her, Soo Mei Fei’s world revolves around Bharatanatyam. Other than the performances, her work as instructor at children's enrichment centres and dance academies in Singapore keeps her busy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8vwRKYJ6Q

“Art should not have boundaries. It’s a great learning experience to know more about another culture that is different from us. In doing so, we discover that we are more similar to each other than what we thought,” she remarks.

Follow Soo Mei Fei on Facebook

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Ishika Nag: Young scientist promoting STEM education

(February 10, 2023) "One idea can change your life." This holds true for Florida girl Ishika Nag who at the age of eight built an elevator to transport her books up to her bunk bed, so she wouldn’t need to go and grab them herself. This was her first foray into engineering, an interest that soon turned into a passion. Despite her curiosity for science as a little kid, she never imagined herself being an engineer until she joined the science and engineering club SECME, with the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering, in the seventh grade which changed everything for her. "I absolutely fell in love with engineering and what I could do with just my hands and with my imagination, how I could put that to use and build new things,” the young scientist told EiE. And now years later, the 17-year-old is one of the finalists at the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023, a prestigious science and maths competition for high school seniors in the US, for developing an engineered face mask with optimised nanoparticle layering for filtration of air pollutants and viral pathogens. The idea struck her after one of her friends moved to Delhi, and

tration of air pollutants and viral pathogens.

The idea struck her after one of her friends moved to Delhi, and saw the kind of impact it had on her life due to the change in air quality. But it was the global pandemic that convinced the Oviedo High School student to create a low-cost, high-quality filtration device that could protect people from airborne viruses as well as pollution. She began by improving the efficiency and affordability of air filtration devices, like both masks and HVAC filters, by coating them with nanoparticles. Her research showed that this coating improved a mask’s air pollution and virus filtration efficiency while ensuring its safety for human use.

The innovation has catapulted her to be a part of a pool of 40 young scientists from the US who are focused on a wide range of topics from the space race, and AIDS epidemic to climate change. But the seeds of innovation and engineering started germinating at a young age for this Indian American, who began with small engineering projects like creating a pair of tissue paper shoes. Her tryst with SECME turned out to be a game-changer for the teenager who then worked with an all-female team on a car powered by a mousetrap that eventually won them a junior national competition. "I was just so proud of us. So that's the real-time when it kind of clicked that I wanted to do this for a career," she added.

During her SECME classes, the Global Indian began helping and mentoring fellow students who wished to pursue engineering careers but were not as exposed to the fundamentals of science and engineering. This led her to start the Boys and Girls Club, a weekly engineering club for younger students - just three weeks before the pandemic. "I realised that I wanted to help out other kids, too. Maybe some underprivileged kids who didn't often have the chance to experience the same things I did,” she said, adding, “And I was going there every week for around three weeks, and I was having a great time. But then the coronavirus pandemic happened, and I couldn't go there anymore. So I started to wonder how I could adapt this project to something that would be more virtual."

Meanwhile, she was selected by the National Academy of Engineers as an EngineerGirl Ambassador — one of 23 in the nation and the only representative from Florida, and she used the opportunity to reach out to other kids who are passionate about STEM through a virtual camp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5PhH1BZA6c&t=34s

During the process, she noticed that often she was the only girl leader in her community, and was keen to inspire other girls to learn about engineering. This led to her starting her camp Gear Up. "Initially, I was a little unsure about what response I would get from the kids, because, you know, it was my first time doing this and I had never really done something of this scale before," she said. However, after getting nods of approval from many girls, she was happy to take the leap of faith, and help inspire more girls toward STEM education. " I hope to stimulate their bright minds with creative engineering challenges. In addition, they would also learn teamwork, effective time management, and communication skills. By exposing them to the field of science and careers in engineering, I hope to see more girls in the field of engineering, especially ones from underprivileged backgrounds."

Reading Time: 4 min

Shining bright: Actress Avantika Vandanapu is the new face of Disney

(November 6, 2022) Even as a child, she was sure that one day she would sparkle on the silver screen. And now, it seems, that her moment has finally arrived. After doing some fabulous series including Spin, Senior Year, and Diary of a Future President, Indian-American actress Avantika Vandanapu is now gearing up to lead Disney's brand new television show, A Crown of Wishes. The 17-year-old San Francisco-based actress, who started her career six years back with a Telugu movie Brahmotsavam, will also be an executive producer on the project. Based on the young adult novel of the second book in Roshani Chokshi’s bestselling Star-Touched Queen duology, A Crown of Wishes is set to be a fantasy series rooted in Hindu mythology. [caption id="attachment_23905" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Avantika Vandanapu, actress[/caption] A hardworking actress, Avantika has pursued her love for creative expression through dance, acting, and other arts. Right from when she was just five, she started attending Indian classical dance classes. Drawn to the creative arts, she was selected for a dance reality show in India when she was just 10. And the rest, as they say, is history! A star was born Born in a Telugu family in San Fransisco,

ting, and other arts. Right from when she was just five, she started attending Indian classical dance classes. Drawn to the creative arts, she was selected for a dance reality show in India when she was just 10. And the rest, as they say, is history!

A star was born

Born in a Telugu family in San Fransisco, Avatiaka was passionate about the performing arts right from the beginning. An alumnus of the American Conservatory Theater, the young actress started auditioning for various parts in commercials, TV, and movies quite early. While she grew up in America, it was in India that she got her first footing in the world of entertainment. "I was selected for a dance reality show when I was ten and the competition was being held in Mumbai, India. After experiencing the hub of Bollywood, I fell in love with the film industry. I moved to India soon after I booked my first Telugu film. It was quite a transition as I had grown up in America — but it was a leap I had to take for my passion," she said during an interview with Unclear Magazine.

[caption id="attachment_23906" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Avantika with the star cast of Senior Year, aired on Netflix[/caption]

"My parents were a big support — so I remain thankful to them forever. After three years of working in India, I decided to finally return to America. I felt that opportunities for POC were growing in Hollywood and I wanted to take a shot at pursuing my dreams in my homeland. After returning to the US, I realised that Hollywood had more acting roles and movies I was drawn to working in. I was determined to make a career for myself — and here we are now," she added. After her first movie with one of the biggest Telugu stars, Mahesh Babu, Avantika bagged several small roles in the Telugu movie industry, including Premam, Rarandoi Veduka Chudham, and Balakrishnudu.

Ticket to Hollywood

In 2020, the actress got a break in an American TV series, Diary of a Future President, where she played the part of the supportive ally Monyca. While her screen time wasn’t much, it was enough for other producers and directors to notice this talent bomb. Reminiscing about how she got the part in Spin, the actress told Outlook India, "My audition process for Spin was a little unusual. I first auditioned for the project when I was 12 years old - it was my very first audition for a Hollywood movie. During that year, however, the movie went on hold as it was being developed and enhanced to be as authentic as possible. Spin came back early last year - and I auditioned for it again. I went through the standard process of an audition, call back, and a producer's session. But my experience was slightly unique due to how full circle my entire journey ended up being."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blQWL9WmgZU

Spin narrates the journey of Rhea Kumar, played by Avantika, who struggles to juggle family, friends, responsibilities to her family's restaurant, coding club, and her newfound interest in music. “She has been an extremely relatable character to me in the sense that she is struggling to find her own self and having difficulties in believing her own capabilities. I love the dedication Rhea has and the fiercely loyal person that she is. It curves out a charismatic dynamic of the character altogether," the actress described.

Later, the actress went on to play the role of Janet in Senior Year, which garnered her a lot of critical acclaims. Earlier this year, Avantika had announced that she purchased the rights to a New York Times Best Selling Novel - A Crown of Wishes - that she will be producing. The novel centres on Princess Gauri (Avantika), who is imprisoned after a failed siege against her malevolent brother, the King of Bharata. When Gauri is exiled from her kingdom, she reluctantly teams up with Vikram, an untrustworthy prince from a rival neighbouring land, to enter the Tournament of Wishes. One wish will be granted to the winner, and though Princess Gauri and Prince Vikram have differing agendas, they will be forced into an uneasy alliance—and unexpected romance—while saving both their kingdoms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1hkYBkuD8c

Although the show is yet to go on floors, her fans are already quite elated with the news. Avantika wishes to bag interesting, but challenging roles going ahead in her acting career. "I would like to do movies that challenge me not only as an actor - but also contribute to society. With such an oversaturation of content in this day and age, I would really like to put my effort into producing movies that will make a difference," she informed Outlook India.

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