Living a dream

KOCHI: The moment Iti Acharya, who is currently at Cannes Film Festival 2022, put up a post on Tom Cruise at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, her inbox was filled with messages from friends, family, and followers. Recalling it as a surreal moment, Acharya says, “Cannes is otherwise very organised, but when Tom Cruise arrived, the crowd just surged. Although I didn’t get to meet him in person, I got a clear glimpse of him which will stay with me for a long time.”

Day 4 at Cannes was special since she was chief guest at the Global Short Film Awards. “I have been part of short films with many of them being screened here. But I haven’t been able to be present here physically in the past,” says Acharya, for whom this invite and event were a dream come true.

Calling the festival a hub of opportunities for film enthusiasts, Acharya is trying to make the most of it by bringing more recognition for her upcoming projects. “Everyone here is promoting their work. AR Rahman sir is here for the promotion of the movie, Le Musk, which is an Indian virtual reality film,” says Acharya, who also met Indian artistes like Madhavan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Tamannaah, at the inauguration ceremony at the Indian pavilion.  

Though she was quite aware of the popularity of Indian films at Cannes, it was a pleasant surprise when she found out people recognised Sandalwood actor Yash too.

“When people asked if I was from Bollywood, I corrected them that I am a south Indian actor. To which they replied, ‘Oh, do you know rocking star Yash from KGF?’ That felt great to hear,” says Acharya. Acharya is attending the whole festival and will later be travelling to Monaco to attend Formula 1.