"Ever since I saw PeeCee [Priyanka Chopra Jonas] take on the world, I knew I wanted to be like her," says Kashvi Majmundar, Dubai’s newest rising star, flashing a cherubic smile.
The nine-year-old recently made her acting debut, playing the younger version of Chopra's character, Nadia, in the Hollywood spy series Citadel: Honey Boney, produced by the renowned Russo Brothers and directed by the duo Raj & DK.
This UAE talent, who was cherry-picked by dancer and Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi to perform on stage during the glittering International Indian Film Academy Awards Ceremony in Abu Dhabi, believes it was the start of her Bollywood breakthrough.
"I don’t want to just be an actor, I want to be a good actor — like PeeCee,” she continues.
Kashvi's journey, launched after being spotted by Fatehi, has seen her work alongside established stars like Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. In Citadel: Honey Bunny, now streaming on Prime Video, Kashvi plays a spirited young girl who’s on the run from an evil crime syndicate.
According to her mother, Pratyusha(a.k.a Pinky), Kashvi’s profile was with Bollywood’s top casting director Mukesh Chhabra, and she got her first acting job through that portfolio. Kashvi — who has no industry connections in Bollywood — was born in Australia, but she moved to the UAE in 2021 when her father got a job in the region. She’s fast becoming the poster child for dance prodigies here. On Instagram alone, monitored by her mother, she has over 176,000 followers -- an indication to her fast-growing popularity.
According to reports, her debut web series has claimed the top spot as the streamer’s most-watched series worldwide during its launch weekend. The show, which debuted November 7, has reached viewers in 200 countries and territories, landing in the Top 10 in nearly 150 markets including the UAE, U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Australia, Canada, and Brazil. It was also No. 1 in the Prime Video charts in India and in over 30 countries worldwide on launch day. While Kashvi is thrilled about the robust reaction to her role, she claims the filming of it was equally epic.
"Varun bhaiya [brother] and Samdi [Samantha, sis] made every moment magical on set. We'd finish a scene, and she'd say, ‘Who’s the best?’ I’d say, ‘You are,’ and she’d say, ‘No, you are!’"
While dancing comes naturally to her, she’s keen to explore her acting ambitions.
“I made some amazing memories … My first one is so special. I will never forget how kind and supportive Raj & DK, Samdi, and Varun bhaiya were towards me … In between sets, Raj and DK used to play fun games with me. They made me feel so comfortable.”
She had a crucial role in this hit series and set aside 21 days to film her scenes. Her launch in the acting world was nothing short of a dream, says Kashvi.
“I am so grateful because everyone’s saying I have been so good in this show … I cannot watch it fully as I am too young, but the shooting started one and a half years ago, and I have been looking forward to its release for a long time. I am super-duper happy, and the reviews have been so good about my acting.”
Kashvi’s excitement and love for the spotlight are clear as she balances her dreams with her school life in Dubai, where friends are now recognising her as a star.
"At my previous school, kids would come up to me, ‘Are you in that ad?’" she laughs. "Now, in my new school, many have begun looking me up on Instagram and Facebook." She is aleady bagged advertisement deals with UAE-based airlines and movie studios.
Earlier this month at the star-studded trailer launch in Mumbai, she stole the thunder with her natural charm, marking her first taste of the limelight. And while Kashvi loves acting, she’s determined to take her time, eager to grow in the industry and keep learning.
“I am good at memorizing all my lines … Ever since I was a kid, I have dreamed of becoming an actor. Now that dream has come true … But this is just the start.”
There’s no doubt that this acting gig is just scratching the surface. Not so long ago, Bollywood icon Salman Khan sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her, while actor Shahid Kapoor — who was a backing dancer before his acting breakthrough — made her promise that she would never give up dancing.
“I was born to dance, but my dream is always to become an actor, even when I grow up. I don’t want to be just any other actor; I want to be a good actor – an all-rounder. I want to sing, too. Just like I am learning new things like gymnastics, I want to keep on learning new stuff. This is just the beginning.”
