Letting her hair down

A perfect weekend for me is about being in the company of my family and friends and doing activities together. 

 If I know that I have a free weekend, I plan those two days well in advance.
 On Friday evenings, I go for  a movie with my family or hang out with my friends. My family loves watching Hindi movies.

 Most of my friends are from the film fraternity or connected to the entertainment industry some way or the other. We usually plan a dinner at places like ‘Little Italy’, ‘Rasta Cafe’ or UB City. This is followed by a drive down a not-so-busy road or the NICE Road.

 When we are together, we make sure that we chit chat with each other and catch up on all the news that we may have missed out.

We return home late in the night when the roads are relatively empty. I don’t drink and always end up driving and dropping my friends home.

I love driving which makes the trip even more joyful.  Once I am back home, I always make sure that I sit down with my diary and pen down my thoughts. I also plan my  Saturday and Sunday schedules. Sometimes, I even plan my activities for the ensuing week. My diary is my reference point.

I love watching online videos and sitcoms like ‘Friends’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and even movies just before I doze off. Saturdays are a mix of ‘chilling out’ and other activities. I get up late on Saturdays. I love preparing brunch for myself after which I go to the gym. Working out is something that I don’t miss. It keeps me fit and energetic. Whenever I am in the city, I make sure to work out everyday. If not, I work out on three days which include Saturday afternoons.

 I also love practising belly dancing. Dance has been an important part of me and it is a great way for me to unwind. I love doing contemporary forms of dances as it excites me and keeps me on my toes, literally!

The hula hoop also thrills me immensely. I picked this habit of playing with the hula hoop while on a trip to Goa. It is fun but needs a lot of concentration.

Saturday evenings are often slotted for my designer friends for whom I walk the ramp. Since I also like theatre, I perform monologue pieces at different venues in the city. My friends always make it a point to be at my performances.

   After my performance, we take off to ‘Sky Bar’ or ‘Sanctum’, that is if we are in a peppy mood and want to dance. This is sometimes followed by a house party after which we return to our homes.

Saturday

late nights are dedicated to reading. From fiction novels to fashion magazines, I catch up on everything before I retire to bed.My folks don’t allow me to sleep too late into Sundays. After I wake up, we chat and slowly plan our brunch or lunch.

I like experimenting in the kitchen, be it funky ‘dosas’, unique sandwiches or waffles. After brunch, my mother and I head out to the beauty parlour and spa and
spend some ‘girl time’ together.

 This will be followed by some shopping, where I try to get a new scarf or accessory that I’ve been eyeing for a while. If I don’t head out, I like taking a dip in the pool and relax.

Once I am back home, the house will be bustling with activity with my extended family members who drop by. We chat and tease each other and take a nostalgic trip through our family stories.

Sundays are about family moments and I keep all other plans away that day. After dinner I hit the sack as soon as possible since I usually have a jam-packed schedule from Monday.

For me, weekends are always synonymous with family and friends,  good food and fun!”

Model-turned-actor Iti Acharya was first noticed for her role in ‘Chatrapati’, ‘Panganama’ and ‘Guest House’. She went on to make her mark in Sandalwood with her roles in ‘Deal Raja’ and ‘Badmaash’. Her latest movie ‘Dhwani’, which got noticed at the ‘Bengaluru International Film Festival’, is fetching her good reviews. She was also seen in other languages like ‘Kerala Today’ and ‘Kilipoyi’ in Malayalam and the Hindi movie ‘Satyavati’.

(As told toTini Sara Anien)