Bhagyashree's daughter Avantika Dassani was made to feel conscious about her 'husky voice': 'People made fun of me'

Avantika Dassani, daughter of popular 90s actor Bhagyashree, has said that people made fun of her voice when she was a teenager and that she took a few years to understand that it was not something that she should feel bad about. In a new interview with Hindustan Times, Avantika talks about her debut - Rohan Sippy's Mithya, the disadvantages of being Bhagyashree's daughter, and much more.

Talking about the responses that she got after the promos for Mithya were out, Avantika said, “I love the fact that a lot of people have been talking about my voice and the modulation that my character has. I was very happy because growing up, my voice was not something that was considered normal. It was something that I was made to feel conscious about. Now, I have been able to turn it to a different advantage and use it in a different way. Many friends and family members have pointed out to me that I do not sound like Rhea (Avantika's character) in real life and I was so happy to hear that.”

She added, “I have a husky voice, not your regular sweet and melodious voice. It is distinctive and was something that I was made to feel conscious about when I was a kid. I was told that it sounds in its own particular way. A lot of people have talked about it, many people made fun of me for it. I think the voice differentiates me, it is something that you will always remember. I love that part, but it did take me some time (to realise that). It did take me a couple of years. When you are a teenager, you want to fit in and anything that makes you stand out, unfortunately, makes you feel bad. As you grow older, those are the things that you fall most in love with.”

Huma Qureshi plays a Hindi professor in the six-part web series directed by Rohan Sippy.,  

Avantika makes her debut with a show in which she plays a negative character. Avantika said that the grey shades made her opt for Mithya, instead of a few others that were offered to her. Asked about the tough parts of working on Mithya, she said, “Rhea is such an explosive character. She is impulsive and I am the complete opposite - I am an over-thinker. I need everything planned out. I am very sensitive and emotional. She is emotional too, but in a very different way.”

“The hardest part was that I had to shoot the most compelling parts of the character - emotionally and physically - (appears in the final episode) on my first two days of the shoot. That was like throwing me into the deep end and how. It is my monologue, my climax scene and that was my first day in front of the camera. It was scary and nerve-wracking at that time. But that also took off the pressure because the rest of the days it was like we have done the difficult part so this will be done as well. Also, we did not get much time for prep. I was locked in for the project, just two weeks before I got on a flight to go for the shoot. We only managed a few readings. I am glad that everyone was very supportive and patient with me, I was a newcomer making my mistakes and learning on the way.”

Avantika also shared the disadvantages that she has had to face because of being a star kid. “I love what I do, but there are expectations and assumptions about how easy it is, or how we get handed everything on a platter, or how I should look like or choose projects. People start boxing you up. Luckily for me, things have changed for the better. And, she is so healthy and gorgeous. I hope those genes stay on, but not the expectations that I will be the same at her age. I do not know how I keep up.”

Also read: Bhagyashree's daughter Avantika says she got film industry access through mom

Avantika also spoke about her earlier statement that it was tough for her to watch Bhagyashree's debut film with Salman Khan, Maine Pyar Kiya. Avantika said, “Let me clarify this. I was a toddler who had no understanding of cinema. I was just a toddler watching my mom sad on the screen and I did not like it. As simple as that, it is not as dramatic. It is just that I did not understand what was happening. I was just like ‘why is mom sad’? That's it. My idea of films and shows were kids' shows, animated cartoon things. And, suddenly you put my mom onscreen and show her crying to me. Obviously, I am not going to like it.” She added that she is not sure, but assumes that Maine Pyar Kiya was her mom's first film that she ever watched.