Indian-American Actor Avantika Faces Racist Backlash Over Rumoured Casting In Disney's 'Tangled'

Indian-American actress Avantika Vandanapu, known for her role in the musical comedy “Mean Girls,” has faced racist backlash amid rumours of her potential casting as Rapunzel in a live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Tangled.”

Despite no official confirmation from Disney, speculation on social media has ignited controversy on the racial lines of the character based on the “German folk story.” Some fans expressed support for the idea, while others responded with racist comments on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, arguing that an Indian woman with long black hair isn’t suitable for the role.

Racist comments

“Rapunzel should be played by a blonde white girl,” one TikTok user wrote, echoing sentiments of racial exclusivity. Another commenter claimed, “Rapunzel is a GERMAN folk story. Indians are not and never will be German.”

Vandanapu’s Instagram account was inundated with hate comments, with individuals labeling her as “disgusting” and urging her not to “ruin Tangled.” “Beautiful but not my Rapunzel,” wrote one of the users on her Instagram.

Trolling

Similar instances of racist trolling have occurred in the past, notably when actresses of color were cast in live-action Disney remakes, such as Halle Bailey as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan expressing interest in playing Rapunzel.

However, South Asian fans swiftly came to Vandanapu’s defense, emphasizing that the live-action “Tangled” film has yet to be confirmed and asserting her suitability for the role. “All this racism and delusions for a movie that doesn’t exist,” remarked a fan on social media.

Supporters

Others expressed support by commenting “My Rapunzel” under Vandanapu’s posts, with one user stating, “How can u see Avantika and not think Disney princess.” “Ppl on the comments r too grown to be acting like this about a FAN CAST for a movie that has not even been announced,” one of her supporters said on Instagram.

“It genuinely hurts to see how easily people are willing to spit nasty words at her. If she’s cast as Rapunzel, she’s my Rapunzel its not the end of the world, it’s a movie. An iconic movie, yes, but still a movie. From Disney. For children,” said another supporter.