MIU MIU blouse and CHANEL skirt. — **MIU MIU** blouse and **CHANEL** skirt.

Avantika appears to wear many, many hats. Along with her roles in multiple Bollywood films—plus Disney’s Diary of a Future President and Mira, The Royal Detective—the actor has a wide range of skills that include modeling, dancing, and singing. Next, Avantika will be the lead of Disney’s first Indian culture-based Original Movie, Spin, where she will play Rhea Kumar, an Indian-American who merges her heritage with the world around her through DJ mixes and love. The film, set to premiere on Disney Channel and Disney+ this summer, confronts themes and characters that the franchise has never featured on screen before—breaking cultural barriers and stimulating new conversations. For Avantika—and comparable to her character in the movie—the possibilities for a young, ambitious individual in Hollywood are endless. We were lucky enough to spend some time with the rising star, where we learned, amongst many things, she is wise well beyond her years.

Where do you hope to see change in the world?

I hope to see change in the world in a countless number of aspects. Kindness, acceptance, sustainability, and so many more that I cannot possibly explain them all today. If I were to, however, speak about one change that I hope for strongly—it is safety. I want to see women, children, BIPOC, and members of the LGBTQ+ community have the ability to go about their lives without fearing for their safety. It’s a big dream—and one that is far away—but we’re slowly making progress. And we need to continue to do so.

Do you feel like you’re a part of ‘New Hollywood’? How so?

I do feel like I am part of New Hollywood. And I feel very blessed because of it. So many trailblazing women and people of color opened up doors in this industry: they allowed me to pursue this career with confidence. And I feel included in the ‘new age of Hollywood’ because I too have the responsibility to continue to create paths for the people after me. At the same time, I am witnessing a change in the entertainment field where it feels like the hard work and activism of so many generations is finally coming to fruition. We still have a long way to go—but I am incredibly lucky to experience this new wave of artists who are portraying relevant stories that have remained buried for decades.

CHANEL shirt, swim top, and shorts, STUART WEITZMAN shoes, and TEMPLE ST. CLAIR necklace. — **CHANEL** shirt, swim top, and shorts, **STUART WEITZMAN** shoes, and **TEMPLE ST. CLAIR** necklace.

Where do you go, mentally, physically, or otherwise, that brings you solace?

I love cooking. So if I need solace mentally, physically, or spiritually - I walk into the kitchen and whip up the first dish that comes to mind. Cooking is the most comforting activity to me, and it always takes me into a peaceful state of mind. Because I have anxiety, my stress levels are usually quite high. So I’m in the kitchen quite a lot, as it’s my default coping mechanism for calming myself down.

Which meal or food do you find the most nostalgic and why?

To me, a strawberry milkshake from In-N-Out is the most nostalgic food ever. I didn’t grow up eating fast food very often; however, whenever my mom and I were in a good, celebratory mood, we would buy a strawberry milkshake from In-N-Out and share it. That drink is so reminiscent of small victories I had when I was younger—and how happy they made me. Whenever I drink it nowadays, it always reminds me to find happiness in the little things.

If you could soundtrack a trip to the grocery store for a stylized short film, what’s the song?

My song choice would be ‘Am I the Same Girl’ by Barbara Acklin! Grocery store trips are perfect for having an existential crisis and jamming to groovy music—hence my pick!

Photographer: Kanya Iwana
Stylist: Bin X Nguyen
Hair: Marilyn Lizardo
Makeup: Daphne Del Rosario
Set Designer: Dureen Truong
Written by: Lauren Castro