“I’m Abhignya Vuthaluru. I come from a proper South Indian Hyderabadi family. My dad is a retired government employee and also a former Ranji Trophy cricketer. My mom is a Telugu professor at a government school. I have an elder sister who is married and settled in the US.

I grew up in Hyderabad and studied at St. Ann’s High School, a convent girls’ school. That phase still remains one of the happiest times in my life. Along with school, I trained in Kuchipudi, and over the years I branched into other dance forms too. Performing always made me feel alive. Looking back, I’d say dance was my first step towards acting. It helped me get comfortable with expression and movement — both of which later became part of my creative process.

After school, I pursued my master’s in Biotechnology from Amity University. I really enjoyed my studies and I was doing well academically, which is probably why I continued down that path for a while. But even during that phase, I felt drawn to something else. There was always this inner pull towards art. I didn’t know what exactly it was leading to, but I couldn’t ignore it.

What happened next wasn’t planned. I just kept choosing what felt right at each stage. I went back to dance, then started working as a fitness instructor. From there, I explored content creation and began sharing videos on YouTube. On the outside, it might have looked like I was jumping from one thing to another. But now, when I look back, I see how each of those experiences added something valuable. My education exposed me to new places and people. Fitness helped me stay strong, both mentally and physically. YouTube taught me about editing, framing, and how to connect with an audience. Without even realising it, I was learning the tools of storytelling.

Eventually, all these steps led me to acting. I didn’t aim for it directly, but it feels like everything I did along the way brought me here. Acting has become the space where all my interests come together.

Being recognised through Chai Bisket and Girl Formula was a major turning point. That was the first time something I was part of went viral. Suddenly, people started sharing my videos, my words, and I started receiving messages from strangers who related to what I said. It was overwhelming, but it also felt like I was finally where I was meant to be. That phase helped me understand my audience, and helped them understand me.

One opportunity I’m really thankful for is Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting, my upcoming project with Zee5 where I play the lead. Some days it still feels unreal. You dream about moments like this for so long, and when they happen, it takes time to believe it. What excites me even more is the learning. I get to meet and work with actors I’ve grown up watching. People I once admired from a distance are now within reach — sometimes even within conversation. That shift feels special.

Outside of acting, I’ve always been passionate about animal welfare, veganism, and sustainable living. I grew up with two dogs — Love Vuthaluru and Franklin Vuthaluru. They weren’t just pets, they were family. Living with them taught me a lot about care, empathy, and what it means to be responsible. That’s when I started questioning how we treat animals and the choices we make. Becoming vegan wasn’t just a lifestyle change, it was a conscious decision to make space for others to live too.

I’ve always believed that if you’re in a position where people listen to you, then you have a responsibility to pass something meaningful on. For me, it comes down to two simple things — leave people happier than you found them, and leave places cleaner than you found them. That’s something I try to live by every day.

At the same time, I believe passion alone isn’t enough. If you don’t have direction, passion can get lost. That’s why I choose to speak about the things I care about, but in my own way. I don’t try to push ideas on people. I speak in the language I know best, and when the time feels right. If something I say makes even one person think differently, I feel it’s worth it.

Right now, I’m still in the early stages of my acting career, and I’m hoping to keep growing. Work has been busy, and I’ve been on a packed schedule. What helps me unwind is sleep. Everyone around me knows how important my rest is to me. There’s even a viral video where I spoke about it. Sleep is how I recover and reset. There have been days I skipped it and ended up with a back spasm, especially since I’m always physically active.

Apart from rest, what keeps me going is time with my close friends. Meeting my friends, dancing, talking about life — these are the things that help me understand the world better. They bring me back to myself.

I’ve never really felt prepared for any major change in life. I’ve just told myself I need to be ready when the moment comes. Sometimes I imagine that I’ve already achieved the version of myself I want to become. Then I ask, how would she behave today? And I try to show up like that version now. Even the smallest opportunity, I treat it as a step toward something bigger.

To all the young people out there following their passion, I’d just say — take time to ask yourself what you really want. Don’t get stuck worrying about how the world sees you. That will keep changing. What matters is how you see yourself, and what you choose to do with that.”