Peerless Beauty with an Undeniable Charm
Emerging as a global phenomenon, Iti Acharya makes heads turn with every stride as she sails high on the winds of success. Iti has worked predominantly in the South Indian film industry for Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam films. She is branching out towards newer avenues, including working with European and American industries. She has a plethora of projects lined up in which she is donning the hat of an actor, and for others, she is producing and co-producing.
Not restricting herself to only mainstream films, she has spread her wings to indie films, which have won many accolades at International film festivals and have gathered millions of views on YouTube. Her indie film was also premised at the prestigious Harvard College in Boston. Being in the industry for a long time, she wanted to put new minds to the forefront and give them a chance to spread their wings.
She made her red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, where her style, makeup and individuality were highlighted. In 2023, she again graced the red carpet for Loreal and many other brands at Cannes. When it comes to fashion, in all of her international appearances, she tries to work with homegrown brands who do a lot of handwork and employ small artisans. Being on a big stage and choosing not to wear a major Indian label or a European brand is looked down upon by the media and everyone around, but she takes this challenge head-on.
Regarding the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, she remarks, “A lot of my friends are getting affected due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which is a concurrent issue that I am getting to understand. Since I will be working with the same team, I am trying to get insight into the same and getting inspired by their journey to combat the same here back home. Be it equality of work, better opportunity, creative rights for writers and an end to exploitation in the Indian film industry.”
Regarding women’s representation, Iti says, “I am proud to become a spokesperson for women by collaborating with many women worldwide. I feel that, especially in the South, few women directors and producers exist. I was one of the few women producers who presented a film at Cannes, a big milestone in my career. I am investing more time in doing films that resonate with me as an actor; such films are close to my heart, and I am taking up the role of a producer, EP or co-producer. My vision is to create a new generation team which runs high on creativity and brings to the table fresher perspectives.”
When she gets an experimental script, it is a daunting task to pitch it to a good producer or a banner. If it does get made, launching it is a big challenge since there is no handbook to make a film get its due recognition. Iti has been on her toes to meet new people and industry experts to educate herself and expand her network concerning understanding the inner workings of the movie business.
She also does a lot of philanthropy work and associates herself with many social organisations which deal with women’s empowerment, rural development, and children’s upliftment. She has worked with a US-based NGO called Vibha, Chef Vikas Khannas’ Leap to Shine Campaign’, and Wildlife SOS in Bangalore.
Iti started her production of a Kannada film called ‘Anukarne’ at the Indian Pavilion in Cannes 2023 with the support of the Indian Information and Broadcast Ministry. Her latest release was ‘Pasivadi Pranam’ in 2023, with three movies in production, namely ‘Love Her Too Much’, a Hollywood production, ‘King & Queen’ and ‘Laxmiputra’. Her social media presence, especially on Instagram, is noteworthy as her 1.5 million followers ardently follow her every move and shower her with adoration and love.
