Vaishnavi Gowda is an Indian actress, model, and dancer born on 20 August 1995 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Her father is Ravi Kumar and her mother is Bhanu Ravikumar; she has an elder brother, Sunil Kumar. She initially attended Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, before completing her BA through distance learning from Bangalore University. She is a trained Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and belly dance performer - completing three levels of belly dance training - and has also participated in fashion shows including India Kids Fashion Week. She regularly practises yoga and is an avid animal lover, owning a cat named Katie and a dog named Bunty. She made her acting debut at just 16 in the Kannada TV serial Devi (2012). She rose to wider fame through the role of Sannidhi in the Colors Kannada serial Agnisakshi (2013), which made her a household name. She continued her television career with Punar Vivaha (2013) and Mungaru Malay (2016). On the big screen, she appeared in the Kannada film Girgitle (2019, directed by Ravi Kiran) and Dress Code. She won the Kannada Telly Award for Favourite Actress - Colors Kannada in 2019. She has modelled for print campaigns including Muliya Jewellers and Ponds', and has endorsed brands such as REYO, Daniel Wellington, and Big Bazaar on social media. In February 2021, she entered Bigg Boss Kannada Season 8 hosted by Kiccha Sudeep. On the premiere episode, she famously vowed not to lose her smile for the entire 100 days - a promise she largely kept. She reached the finale, finishing fourth on 29 August 2021.

Her breakout role as Sannidhi in the popular Colors Kannada serial Agnisakshi (2013); her lead role in Devi (2012) at age 16; her appearances in serials Punar Vivaha (2013) and Mungaru Malay (2016); the Kannada film Girgitle (2019); winning the Kannada Telly Award for Favourite Actress - Colors Kannada (2019); finishing as fourth runner-up (fourth place) in Bigg Boss Kannada Season 8 (2021).

Frequently Asked