Ashika, originally from Tumkur and educated in Bangalore, emerged as the runner-up in the Miss Fresh Face 2014 competition. Following this, she ventured into acting, starting with the movie ‘Crazy Boy’ and subsequently appearing in various films. She featured in the song ‘Pataki Poryo’ in the film ‘Kotigobba-3’ alongside Kichcha Sudeep.
Despite her commendable performances, Ashika did not secure many prominent opportunities initially. She ventured into Tamil and Telugu films two years ago, acting alongside Kalyan Ram in ‘Amigos’ and Nagarjuna in ‘Na Sami Ranga’. Recently, she participated in a podcast on the Rapid Rashmi YouTube channel, where she discussed her viral discussion about salaries.
Reflecting on her journey, Ashika reminisced about her first salary of 500 rupees during her college days when she participated in a dance show. She expressed surprise at the wage disparity for actresses in Kannada cinema compared to other industries like Telugu. Currently, she earns around Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakh per film in Kannada cinema.
Ashika highlighted the notable difference in pay between lead actors and actresses in Kannada films, despite the quality of the movies. She stressed the need for filmmakers to address this issue and pay more attention to the equitable treatment of actors and actresses.
