THRISSUR: A dancer equally adept at kathakali and modern moves. An ardent practitioner of kalaripayattu and a black belt in karate. Social media content creator. Actor.
Social media pages would vie for space to list the milestones that Ananthika Sanilkumar has achieved at just 17 years of age. And, the Thrissur girl is not done, not by a long shot.
Now, the teen is gearing up for the release of her latest movie, a Tamil flick Raid starring Vikram Prabhu and Sri Divya in lead, on Friday (November 10).
Ananthika’s foray into the South Indian film industry was purely due to talent. She started by posting reels on social media, including Instagram, during the pandemic days. Her page soon caught the fancy of people from across the globe. As her reels garnered thousands of views, calls started pouring in from the film industry.
“We were initially hesitant to accept any movie offers as we did not know much about the industry. However, with time, Ananthika developed an interest and wanted to give it a try,” said her mother Jini, who supported her daughter’s passion for art.
Unfortunately, the first movie that Ananthika acted in didn’t get a release date. However, her journey continued. In 2022, her debut movie Rajahmundry Rose Milk, the Telugu remake of Malayalam film Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, was released. With the release of Telegu film Mad, Ananthika became a sought-after actor in South India.
While she remains a budding actor, Ananthika is a seasoned dancer, starting at the tender age of 5. “I love classical art forms like kathakali, bharatanatyam, mohiniyattam and kuchipudi. Nothing can be compared to the feeling when you complete a dance performance and give salutations to the audience,” said Ananthika, who is excited about her latest release and upcoming projects. For her, what makes acting interesting is its challenges and mass appeal.
The Class 12 student learned kathakali from Avanangattu Kalari under Kalanilayam Gopi ashan. Her schoolteachers have been supportive, conducting extra classes when she takes long leave – for up to three months – for shooting and promoting films.
Amid juggling academics and acting, the youngster also finds time to learn classical dance forms like kathakali, nangayarkuthu, ottanthullal, bharatanatyam, mohiniyattam and kuchipudi, besides karate. Recently, she started learning the chenda.
On how she manages time, Ananthika said with a smile, “If one is willing, 24 hours are more than enough to do anything. I get up around 6am, attend one class, have breakfast and go to the next. I don’t find it hectic as I love learning and performing,” she said. Ananthika is also interested in direction, and cinematography. Ananthika’s father Sanilkumar works as mechanic. Ananditha is her younger sister.