05 October,2023 10:40 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shivansh and Navika with Sridevi
It's been 11 years since Sridevi-starrer 'English Vinglish' released in theatres. Directed by Gauri Shinde the film also marked the return of Sridevi to the big screen after a gap of 15 years. It was hailed as comeback of the year with Sridevi putting up a stellar and memorable performance as a homemaker who after getting ridiculed for not knowing English learns the language while navigating the ways of a foreign country all by herself.
In the film, Sridevi plays the role of a mother to two young kids. She is often ridiculed by her husband and daughter for not being able to speak English but her love for them never once weakens. Navika Kotia played her daughter in the film. Staying true to her character, Navika who was 12 at the rime of the release of the film put up a convincing performance as the unlikable teenager. The role of her younger brother was played by her real life brother Shivansh Kotia. In the film, he played the adorable little one who wanted to be his mother's side.
11 Years later...
Now, over a decade later both Navika and Shivansh have taken forward their love for acting.
Navika began her acting career as a child actor in television shows like 'Kasamh Se', 'Baa Bahoo Aur Baby', 'Maryada' and 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai'. Her debut film was 'English Vinglish' where she played the role of Sapna Godbole. She was then seen in the Telugu film 'Attarintiki Daresi' in 2013 and in the Tamil film 'Murugaatrupadai' in 2014.
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Currently Navika plays the lead in the TV series 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Beti Hoti Hai'. The show went on air on ZEE TV starting September this month. She plays the role of Kesar Rajgauri on the show. "This character is quite different from anything I have played before. Her body language and tone are unlike mine; she's poised, soft-spoken and elegant. However, her principles and values resonate with me, so it's going to be an exciting and challenging experience to step into this character," she said talking about the character in conversation with Telegraph India.
Navika also made her OTT debut this year with Amazon Mini TV's show School Friends where she plays the role of Stuti.
Shivansh Kotia, on the other hand, is widely known for his performance As Naksh in the long running TV show 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai'. He was a part of the show from 2012 to 2015. During the time period he was also seen in 'English Vinglish' playing Sridevi and Adil Hussain's younger child.
The actor who is 18-years-old now has taken a break from acting projects to focus on his academics. Although, he takes up commercials and runs a YouTube channel with hi sister Navika where they blog about their life and travels. Navika and Shivansh also create content for Instagram which are largely centered around relatable sibling content.