Avantika Vandanapu to Star in Disney Fantasy Series ‘A Crown of Wishes’ Based on the Book by Roshani Chokshi
- The Indian American teen will be seen as Princess Gauri (Avantika), “who is imprisoned after a failed siege against her malevolent brother, the King of Bharata.
Avantika Vandanapu (who goes professionally by just her first name), the breakout star of Disney’s “Spin,” will star and executive produce a live-action YA series for Disney Branded Television, Deadline has reported. The fantasy series titled “A Crown of Wishes,” based on the book by Roshani Chokshi is rooted in Hindu mythology. Chokshi’s parents are immigrants — her mother from the Philippines and father from India.
The series centers on Princess Gauri (Avantika), “who is imprisoned after a failed siege against her malevolent brother, the King of Bharata,” Deadline says in the series synopsis. “When Gauri is exiled from her kingdom, she reluctantly teams up with Vikram, an untrustworthy prince from a rival neighboring 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.”
Zanne Devine of Montana North Media will executive produce alongside Avantika. Raj Raghavan of ColorCreative will be a co-executive producer, and Jessica Sonnefeld Jolles of Montana North are co-producers, Deadline said.
Apart from “Spin,” Disney’s first original with an Indian American lead, Avantika most recently was seen opposite Rebel Wilson in “Senior Year.” She will be next seen on the big screen alongside Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden and Adain Bradley in “Screen Gems” and Alloy Entertainment’s “Horrorscope.”
Avantika grew up in Union City, California, the only child to Anupama Reddy Chintala, a chartered accountant and real estate manager, and Srikanth Vandanapu, a software engineer.
She ventured into Hollywood after establishing herself as a dancer. She is trained in Indian classical dance (Kuchipudi and Kathak), as well as in ballet and contemporary forms of dance. “All these dance forms are rigorous, especially Indian classical dance is really, really rigorous,” she told American Kahani in a previous interview, adding that it required her to be “super disciplined.” She credits her dance training to have changed her as a person, “to keep myself grounded and consistent. I don’t think I would’ve been as resilient as I am today, had I not been a dancer.”
She made her television debut in 2018. Her previous credits include a recurring role in the Disney+ series “Diary of a Future President,” and the Netflix feature “Moxie” directed by Amy Poehler.
Her three years in India, working in the Telugu film industry, have also played a significant role in her evolution as a person, teaching her “a lot about adapting to different environments.”
Avantika lived and worked in India from age 10 to 13. She debuted as a child artist in “Brahmotsavam,” starring Mahesh Babu, Kajal Agarwal, Samantha, and Pranitha. She was then seen in “Manamantha,” with Mohanlal and Gauthami. Later, she signed on for “Premam,” starring Naga Chaitanya and Shruti Hassan.