Commuters passing through Astor Place in New York City on Tuesday must’ve been shocked to see the wave of pink spilling out of the doors of fast food restaurant Raising Cane’s as fans lined up to see Avantika Vandanapu.
The Indian American actress, who stars as Karen Shetty in the musical movie adaptation of Mean Girls, took orders and served up chicken fingers to customers, many of whom were wearing the movie’s iconic pink. Fans could be heard shouting, “Avantika, we love your work!”
“The hardest part about working at Cane’s today was putting the lids on the drinks, but it was great to see and meet everyone,” Avantika said following her shift at the counter in between her classes at Columbia University, according to a press release. “They were all so nice to me!”
“It was great having Avantika out to our Astor Place Restaurant today to celebrate the successful launch of Mean Girls,” Raising Cane’s CEO Todd Graves said in the statement. “She’s a rising star, and we can’t wait to continue cheering her on in all she does. The sky is the limit for Avantika, and I’m glad Cane’s can be a part of her story.”
Mean Girls, a movie adaptation of the musical adaptation of the original 2004 Mean Girls movie, premiered this past weekend and opened number one at the box office, grossing $28 million in its first three days, according to Billboard. Avantika is also known for playing DJ Rhea Kumar in Disney’s Spin, the first South Asian lead in the channel’s movie history, and she will be starring in and executive producing Disney’s upcoming Hindu mythology-based fantasy series, A Crown of Wishes.
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