Aparna Malladi, the acclaimed actor, filmmaker, and teacher known for her YouTube series Posh Poris and feature films such as The Anushree Experiments and Pellikuturu Party, passed away in the early hours of January 2 in Los Angeles, USA. At 54, Aparna had been battling cancer for four years and had moved to Los Angeles two years ago to seek treatment. While she initially responded well to the treatment, the cancer relapsed two years ago, leading to her untimely passing.
Aparna made a significant impact on the Telugu independent film industry long before the rise of OTT platforms. Some of her celebrated works include Mitsein, Nupur, and Pellikuturu Party. Both Mitsein and Nupur were screened and awarded at several international film festivals. Pellikuturu Party, released in 2022, was her last project, starring Prince Cecil, Arjun Kalyan, and Aneesha Dama.
A graduate of the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco, Aparna also taught screenwriting and filmmaking at various film schools and universities. She mentored numerous emerging filmmakers, including Venkatesh Maha, director of C/o Kancharapalem. Her untimely death has deeply saddened her colleagues, students, and friends, leaving a void in the indie filmmaking community.
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