OTTplay Awards 2025: Best debut in an OTT series goes to Vedhika for Yakshini

Vedhika, who is widely known for her feature film work across all the south film industries – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, made her foray into the OTT space with the 2024 web series Yakshini. Critics were unanimous that the actress was perfect in the role of a celestial being, looking ethereal and capturing the essence of a Yakshini to the T.

In recognition of her performance in the Telugu fantasy drama Yakshini, Vedhika was accorded the Best Debut in an OTT series award at the OTTplay Awards 2025, on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Produced by Shobu Yarlagdda and Prasad Devineni for Arka Media Works, best known as the production house behind Baahubali, the 6-part series is available on JioHotstar.

Vedhika received her award from Nyraa Banerjee and said, “I'm deeply honoured to receive this wonderful. One has to be super lucky and blessed to receive such a character. I would like to thank my team. It's such an honour to be part of such a wonderful show. Thank you for giving us this wonderful journey and audience for making Yakshini such a huge success and for loving Maya so much. I just wanted to be like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi ma'am. I'm so blessed to receive this. I'm excited to do more good work and interesting characters. This is to doing more good work.”

In the series directed by Teja Marni and written by Ram Vamshi Krishna, Vedhika plays the title character Yakshini, Maya, who is banished from her celestial home Alkapuri to life on earth, a curse that she can break only if she kills a 100 brahmacharis. All set to achieve this goal and head back home; Maya faces a complication when her 100th victim falls in love with her. Does she carry out her mission successfully or do matters of the heart trump all? That is what the series was all about.

OTTplay Awards 2025 is co-presented by Real Juices and Kühl BLDC Fans and powered by StockGro, in association with Flipkart spoyl, DPauls.com, Amante, Propshop, Aussie Lamb and Krishii Fiber. Other notable winners at the event hosted by Aparshakti Khurana and Kubra Sait included Kajol, Jyotika, Priya Mani, Kani Kusruti, Parvathy Thiruvothu, among others.