For many actors, Hollywood is an uphill climb. For South Asians, the challenge is often even greater.
Anita Kalathara, however, has carved out a place for herself in an industry where South Asian faces have long been underrepresented. The New York-born Malayali actor, writer and producer’s credits include ‘The Mindy Project’, ‘India Sweets & Spices’, ‘Doom Patrol’ and ‘Paper Flowers’.
Notably, she joined the cast of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ as Dr Kavita Mohanty, one of the few South Asian characters to feature prominently on the long-running medical drama.
Yet acting is only part of her journey. Keen to tell the stories she rarely saw on screen, Anita has also ventured into writing and producing. After making her writing and producing debut with the short film Arranged, she created Something to Prove, a coming-of-age micro-drama centred on a Malayali-American family.
The series follows Maya Kurian, a 25-year-old navigating independence, relationships and the expectations of a close-knit South Asian household, and has resonated with audiences, garnering millions of views across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Though born and raised in New York, Kerala has always been central to Anita’s life. Her mother is from Thiruvananthapuram and her father from Kochi. Childhood meant spending every summer vacation and Christmas with family in Kerala.
Those roots continue to shape her work, with Malayali characters finding a place in many of the stories she creates.
Fresh off a string of career milestones, Anita spoke to TNIE about navigating Hollywood, creating Something to Prove, and the growing space for South Asian representation on screen.
Excerpts:
How did you start your acting career?
I wanted to pursue acting when I was a little kid, but my parents were against the idea. They wanted me to become a lawyer or a doctor.
However, I was part of singing and performance groups. After school, I secretly started taking acting classes just to see how I felt. Then I realised that if I stayed in New York, where I am from, my parents might try to stop me. So I booked a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, and never looked back.
You have worked across several projects, including animation, independent films and your own productions. How has the journey been?
When I first started acting, I just wanted to reach people. I wanted to make them laugh and connect with them through storytelling.
Over the years, I have realised I love storytelling in many forms. Acting is still my first love, but discovering voice acting and writing has really expanded that passion.
You were part of ‘Doom Patrol’, set in the DC Universe. What was that experience like?
Amazing! We filmed for about three months, and it was the longest I had spent on a project simply watching incredible actors at work. That was a huge learning experience. I also loved the amount of care that went into creating those characters — the costumes, hair, makeup and wardrobe. And it was exciting to play a villain, or at least a bit of a villain. Joining a world that already had such a passionate comic-book fan base was really special.
You also appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, which is a globally popular series...
It was really exciting. Everything happened so quickly that I barely had time to process it. I went from auditioning to being on set within days. It took a while to sink in that I was part of a show I had grown up watching.
The response was overwhelming. So many people, especially Malayalis, reached out saying they finally felt represented. That kind of love makes me want to keep doing authentic work.
‘Something to Prove’ draws from your own experiences. How did it come about?
I wrote Something to Prove around 2019 or 2020 as a feature film. I wanted to tell a story that was light and fun but also had a lot of heart. Family is such a huge part of my life that I can’t really tell a romance without family being involved.
A feature film was expensive, and I didn’t want to do the story an injustice. Last year, I decided to adapt it into a vertical series as a proof of concept that could eventually help raise funding for something bigger.
Our director, Nathan Rey Gold, had already been making cinematic vertical content. We had worked together before, so I asked if he would be interested. He said yes, and that’s how it all started.
The series has been compared to Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’...
The funny thing is that I had already written my script before that series came out. Something to Prove originally even had a game of “Never Have I Ever”, and that was once the working title. Then Mindy Kaling’s show was announced and I immediately thought, “I need a new title.”
People comparing the two is honestly a compliment because I love that show, even though they are completely different stories.
Your series has attracted a lot of attention online…
I honestly didn’t expect so many people to watch it. The first episode reached around 600,000 views on Instagram and another 600,000 on TikTok. I remember thinking, “Whoa... what’s happening?”
What’s even more exciting is that people are still discovering it. Every week there are new viewers binge-watching the series. I actually need to post more clips — I handle all the social media myself.
Do your connections to Kerala influence the stories you tell?
Absolutely. In Something to Prove and many of my other scripts, I write Malayali characters because that’s familiar to me. We don’t get to see enough stories about us, so I always try to include that representation.
How do you think South Asian representation in the West has changed?
When I started, there were very few opportunities for Indian and South Asian women. We were all competing for the same roles.
That’s one reason ‘Doom Patrol’ meant so much to me. My character wasn’t written as Indian — it was open to any ethnicity, and they cast me. That made me feel Hollywood was finally opening up.
Today there are far more auditions open to any ethnicity, alongside projects specifically looking for South Asian actors. I think social media, especially during the pandemic, also helped because so many South Asian creators became more visible.
That said, I have noticed a slight slowdown over the past year. I hope that’s only temporary.
What’s next for you?
I just finished two scripts. One is a period romance inspired by my aunt and uncle, who are both from Kerala but met in Belgium. It spans about ten years and moves between Kerala, Belgium and a few other places.
The other is a fantasy plot based on Kerala folklore and tribal culture. I don’t want to reveal too much until I start pitching it.
Any plans for Season 2 of ‘Something to Prove’?
That’s definitely the goal. I am also open to adapting it into a television series. Right now, we are looking for funding. Everyone who worked on the first season did us huge favours, volunteering their time or working for a fraction of their normal rates. I can’t ask them to do that again. The scripts are ready. We just need the budget.
Do you watch Malayalam films?
Of course. Actor Mammootty is my dad’s friend, so I have been watching his films since I was little. I watched Bramayugam in Los Angeles and really enjoyed it.
So, is Mammootty your favourite actor?
I can’t really pick anyone else. He’s the best.
What does it mean when someone from Kerala or the South Asian community says they feel represented through your work?
That means a lot. One of the biggest goals of my writing is to reach people from my own culture while also connecting with audiences around the world. A while ago I made a short film called ‘Unfair & Lovely’ about colourism, something I had personally experienced. I wanted people in India and elsewhere to relate to it, and I think it reached many of them. That’s the kind of impact I hope all my stories can have.