Avantika Is Proving You Can Have It All: College & A Career

Not many college students can say they’ve had the No. 1 movie at the box office the same week spring semester begins — but Avantika can. The 19-year-old is a freshman at Columbia University in New York City, studying cultural anthropology. She also happens to play Karen Shetty in the 2024 musical adaptation of Mean Girls.

Avantika Vandanapu — whose stage name is simply Avantika — took on the iconic role of the clueless yet well-meaning member of the Plastics, stealing the show like Amanda Seyfried did in the OG 2004 film for many fans. Of the positive responses she’s seen online, the teen star tells Elite Daily, “I’m just super grateful.”

I walked into this whole thing being really mentally prepared for everyone to dislike my performance and hate what I did with the character.

Knowing that Karen was already a fan favorite, Avantika had some reservations. “I walked into this whole thing being really mentally prepared for everyone to dislike my performance and hate what I did with the character,” she says, “but I think that there being so much positivity around it has validated my casting in a sense” — and Hollywood has noticed.

The California-born actor continues to stay booked and busy. Outside of college, she’s starring in the horror film Tarot, which comes out this May, alongside Jacob Batalon from the MCU Spider-Man franchise. However, she’s still just Avantika the student when she steps out on campus.

I didn’t want there to be this stigma that you couldn’t go to college and also have a creative career.

Post-Mean Girls, Avantika’s life hasn’t really changed, and she rarely gets recognized. At most, she’ll have someone from class say, “You look like the girl from Mean Girls,” but she typically just thanks them and moves on.

Getting to easily live that double life has always been Avantika’s dream. “I didn’t want there to be this stigma that you couldn’t go to college and also have a creative career, that you would have to sacrifice one for the other.” She’s proving that you can have it all — you just have to have a good calendar for time management.

Below, Avantika shares how college life IRL is different than how it’s portrayed in TV shows like The Sex Lives of College Girls, the Disney Princess fans want her to play next, plus what she really thinks of the Stanley cup obsession.

Elite Daily: When did you know that you wanted to go to college and how did you choose Columbia University?

Avantika: I grew up in an Asian family, so education was a very big priority for me throughout my childhood. I hated the narrative that you couldn’t go to college and also work in entertainment, so I decided very early on that at some point, even if it took me a little longer than it would for most people, I wanted to go to school.

Columbia was my dream school since I was a kid. I love the campus; it’s so cool that it’s in the city. You can get the full college experience while also having access to these cool things that you couldn’t see if you were in Connecticut.

I did not think it was worth studying something that I was so grateful and privileged to be doing in the industry already.

ED: What made you decide on cultural anthropology as your major?

A: I thought it would be redundant to go and study film again in school. Columbia is so expensive. I did not think it was worth studying something that I was so grateful and privileged to be doing in the industry already. I have people I can learn from within my circle.

I also fell in love with anthropology. Anthropology has influenced my worldview in a more production sense. I would love to be a producer at some point in my life. As a producer, it’s important that you understand all kinds of audiences and where they come from and the cultures behind them. That also informs the scripts you choose to bring to the screen.

I look like a rat when I’m wandering around campus in full sweats.

ED: You had a pretty impressive career when you started college. What has it been like on campus? Did anyone recognize you when you first arrived?

A: It hasn’t been overwhelming at all going to school in New York City. I also think I look like a rat when I’m wandering around campus in full sweats, so I get that people don’t recognize me immediately.

ED: Coming back to school after the release of Mean Girls, have you noticed a change in your social life on campus?

A: Not really, no. I maintain the same circle of friends at school, which is quite small. They’re the people I hang out with.

ED: Are college parties IRL similar to ones that appear in films and TV shows you’ve be in?

A: I’ve been to two college parties in my life. One, I stayed at for four minutes. I timed myself. It was a frat party, and it smelled like rotting eggs in there. There was no ventilation and there were so many people. I took out my camera to take a picture of somebody and the lens fogged up because of how much sweat and humidity there was in the air. It was filthy. I couldn’t stay in there for more than four minutes without throwing up.

But visually, if you walked in on that party and threw on some bomb music and cool lighting, it definitely would pass for a high school party you would see in a movie.

I’ve also been to this thing at Columbia called Jazz Night. It happens every Thursday, and it’s this co-ed party where they play jazz music. There’s moody, red lighting, and everyone’s dressed really cool. I often find myself preferring that over a typical frat party.

ED: Speaking of your camera, is that a hobby you took up when you started college?

A: I love photography. I had a period early on in my life where I liked to do film photography. The issue is I don’t drive, so when I’m in L.A., it takes forever for me to go and get the film developed. Whereas, here, the day I finish a roll, I just walk somewhere nearby.

It’s been easier for me to shoot film in New York, but I’ve had the camera for a while. I don’t think I’ve taken up any significantly new hobbies recently. College in and of itself has been quite new, so I’ve just spent time getting used to that.

ED: You’re obviously very busy with school and your upcoming projects. Do you have any secrets for time management?

A: I’m actually chronically bad at time management. Any of my friends will tell you that I always show up late. I’m never late to work, but other than that, I really am always late. I just put everything in my calendar and hope that at the end of the day, it somehow gets done.

There’s no way to do both without making some sort of sacrifice.

ED: Do you get FOMO from things that you’re missing on campus when you’re doing something for work?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I have to miss certain things. There’s no way to do both without making some sort of sacrifice. That being said, I get to do really cool, exciting things. Developing FOMO is a little ungrateful when you get the kinds of opportunities that I get, so I found that it hasn’t really happened for me in that context.

ED: How do you decide which work events are worth missing class for?

A: It’s based off of how important it is to me and whether that’s a bigger priority over what I’m learning in school that day. I ask myself, “Is there any way to accommodate on that knowledge outside of school? Can I get notes from somebody or ask the teacher afterwards?” Distinguishing that on a situation-by-situation basis helps.

You don’t really want to spend a long time on your skin care routine — especially when you’re in a communal bathroom.

ED: When you’re having a busy week of classes and work, what’s your go-to self-care?

A: Sitting in bed and watching a movie or going to this 24-hour food spot right next to my dorm. I go down there to get fries and a milkshake, and then watch a movie. I’ve found that self-care in the context of beauty isn’t really all that.

When you’re so tired at the end of the day, you don’t really want to spend a long time on your skin care routine — especially when you’re in a communal bathroom and you have to be doing it out of a shower caddy. It’s not really all that relaxing.

ED: Before Mean Girls, you worked with Reneé Rapp when you guest-starred on The Sex Lives of College Girls. What was it like to reunite with her?

A: It was amazing. I love her, and she is such a genuine, thoughtful, and incredibly hardworking person. When I’m in her orbit, I’m always learning something from her.

I was incredibly grateful to be able to see her and work with her again — and in the capacity of her being a singer. That’s where she truly shines and is such a powerhouse. It’s really cool to be able to witness that in real time.

ED: Any chance we could see you in a future season of Sex Lives?

A: Maybe? I haven’t heard anything, so I can’t say for sure.

ED: Would you want to return?

A: If there was a cool arc, for sure.

ED: A lot of Disney Channel fans recognize you from your movie Spin, which also starred Anna Cathcart from XO, Kitty. Do you keep in touch?

A: I do occasionally. She’s really lovely. I think she’s just quite busy, but yeah, we do keep in touch. She is such a bundle of sunshine, and I comment on her Instagram and she comments on my posts. Our moms literally got dinner yesterday.

ED: You’re both in college while working as actors. Have you ever talked about your Hannah Montana lifestyles?

A: Not really, no, but you might have given us a new conversation topic. I think Anna juggles with far more than I do. Miss Anna Cathcart is a star in the true sense of the word.

ED: You’re very much a star as well, especially after the success of Mean Girls. You actually got to meet Amanda Seyfried after the movie came out. What was that like, and did she say anything about your performance of Karen?

A: It was so cool. She was actually going to go see it that weekend, so she had not seen it by the time I met her. When people say “don’t meet your heroes,” you’re always a little hesitant to meet these people you’ve idolized for so long. But she was nothing short of just absolutely wonderful and kind.

ED: What do you think Karen would think of your college life at Columbia?

A: Karen would think it’s unnecessarily excessive and that I should just chill out a little.

ED: In a dorm room tour you did, you said your water bottle is a part of your personality. What are your current thoughts on the Stanley water cup obsession that’s going on?

A: I always think it’s interesting when people get really obsessed over one thing — especially if it’s not this new inventive concept that we’ve never seen before. I don’t get why people are obsessed with the Stanley cup. It is a water bottle with a straw in it. We were seeing this type of cup in T.J. Maxx years ago, and nobody was obsessed with it then.

Get your hydration on. And if Stanley cup is what does it for you, then that’s what does it for you. I just think that the hype is a little much.

ED: Have you also seen on social media that a lot of fans want you to play Rapunzel in the live-action Disney remake?

A: Yes, I did. Rapunzel is one of my favorite princesses, if not my favorite. Tangled is undoubtedly my favorite Disney movie of all time. It would be a dream come true, but I also think that casting of massive roles like this can get so political so quickly — so I don’t know.

I would love an opportunity to be in the audition room, of course. I’m also so honored that people think of me for such an iconic, incredible princess. I’m really flattered. I would love to be Rapunzel, but only time will tell how that will pan out.

ED: What is next for you?

A: I have this movie Tarot coming out in the summer. I have an Amazon show coming out in March called BGDC — it’s a Bollywood show. Anybody who speaks Hindi or likes watching Hindi films, this might be for you. I’m also working on A Crown of Wishes for Disney. Those are what’s in the pipeline as of now. There’s other stuff too, but nothing that I can talk about quite yet.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.