Yashika Aannand (born 4 August 2000) is an Indian actress, model and television personality, who works predominantly in Tamil films and television shows.
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Early life
Yashika Aannand was born into a Punjabi Hindu family on 4 August 2000 in New Delhi. After her family moved to Chennai, she completed her schooling in Sherwood Hall school in Chetpet, Chennai.
Career
Yashika began acting after being an Instagram model. At 14, she was filmed for Inimey Ippadithan (2015) alongside Santhanam but her role was later deleted after she could not attend a song shoot. She then portrayed a swimming instructor in Kavalai Vendam (2016), which became her first theatrical release.
Yashika's breakthrough was in the 2016 film, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru. Shot on a small budget, the film was successful and won recognition for its cast members. She then appeared in Paadam (2018) and Thambi Ramaiah's Maniyaar Kudumbam (2018).
Yashika then appeared in Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu (2018), an adult comedy film. Shot in Thailand, the film featured her alongside other actresses such as Vaibhavi Shandilya and Chandrika Ravi and the film performed well at the box office.
In 2018, Yashika appeared in the second season of the Bigg Boss Tamil reality show hosted by Kamal Haasan. She had earlier been approached to be in the inaugural season, but she refused the offer. She was evicted on day 98, finishing the show in fifth place. She also received the cash prize of 5 lakhs for winning certain tasks during the second season of the premiere program before getting evicted. She later appeared as a mentor in Star Vijay's Jodi Unlimited TV series, which aired in 2019.
Yashika then appeared in the animated zombie film Zombie as the lead actress.
In 2018, she was listed by the Chennai Times as the "most desirable woman on television."
In 2021, she received the Best Actress Award at the Las Vegas Independent Film Festival 2021 for the film Bestie.
MeToo allegations
In 2018, Yashika identified herself as a victim during the MeToo movement in India, where she alleged that a director had tried to abuse her by asking for sexual favors in order to gain a part in his film. She refused, and accused the director of harassing her.
Personal life
2021 Car accident
On 24 July 2021, Yashika was involved in a car crash in Mahabalipuram near Chennai and was critically injured during the crash. She was driving a speeding SUV with three friends when she lost control. The car hit a divider and overturned, causing the immediate death of her best friend, Vallichetti Bhavani. Yashika and two other men were badly hurt, with Yashika suffering multiple bone fractures that kept her bedridden for months.
The police filed a case against her for rash driving and causing death by negligence and also confiscated her driving license. In early 2023, she faced multiple court hearings. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued by a Chengalpattu court in March 2023 after she failed to appear. The warrant was later recalled when she appeared in person to explain her absence.