Avantika Dasani, daughter of 1989 blockbuster film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ star Bhagyashree, may come from a Bollywood family, but she and her brother Abhimanyu grew up just like any other kids. From the start, Avantika understood that in this industry, only talent matters.
“Our mom left acting when she was really young. She stopped doing films commercially around the time my brother was born because they wanted us to have a regular, grounded upbringing. So, we weren’t really connected to the industry as people assume. Sure, people respect my mom, but that doesn’t mean anyone’s going to invest in us unless they see our worth,” she said.
Now, Avantika is riding high on the success of her latest web series, ‘Mithya: The Darker Chapter’ on ‘Zee5’. She plays Rhea, a character fuelled by revenge and the need for validation.
Avantika absolutely relished diving into such a role, even though she’s aware of how easily Bollywood can typecast actors. “Casting directors usually saw me as the girl next door. But ‘Mithya’ showed I can handle darker and more complex roles. I’d love to explore more grey characters, but before taking on another negative role, I’d like to try something fresh. I don’t want to be typecast,” she said.
Despite Rhea’s darker side, Avantika believes her character is just someone deeply craving love, affection and attention, a feeling everyone can relate to. “That’s what made her so relatable,” said Avantika, who had a blast filming with Huma Qureshi in Darjeeling.