Avantika Vandanapu has been in the news after her portrayal of Karen Shetty in the recently released film Mean Girls. As the actress is gearing up for her Hindi acting debut with Big Girls Don’t Cry, she spoke about how the film industry looks down upon girls who cry and how it is easy to exploit them.

Avantika Vandanapu opens up about women's exploitation

During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actress was asked if they get to hear the phrase, "big girls don't cry". To this, Avantika replied that the notion is "very interesting" because it is seen as a sign of weakness in the girls, paving the way to exploit the women. This reaction makes women hesitant to show any kind of vulnerability.

She added that crying is seen as a temper tantrum or being difficult and there is a fine line between setting own boundaries but also being complicit and being fine with everything. Calling it difficult to manage, the actress shared that she is new to the Indian film industry and her co-stars Dalai and Afrah have developed a comfortable environment for her.

All you need to know about Avantika Vandanapu

Born to an Indian family in California, the actress made her acting debut with 2016's Telugu film Brahmotsavam. Earlier in a conversation with PTI, Avantika credited Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots and Matlida for propelling her love for cinema. "Matilda shaped my interest in wanting to be in films. 3 Idiots is a classic, it was such a big film for me. I am inspired by heartfelt movies that feel like a true representation of what it means to be human and what it means to live," she said.