Archita Phukan

About Archita Phukan

Archita Phukan — who now also goes by Amira Ishtara — was born in 1995 in Guwahati, Assam, and has built a name for herself as a digital creator, plus‑size model, and activist. She grew up in a traditional Assamese Brahmin household and went to Little Flower High School in Hatigaon. Later, she moved to Delhi to study engineering, but stepped away due to mental health struggles. Not one to give up, she returned to her studies and graduated in 2023 with a Computer Science degree from the Delhi College of Technology and Management.

Her path hasn’t been easy. From 2017 to 2023, Archita was reportedly coerced into prostitution in Delhi’s GB Road district — a period she’s since spoken about openly. She managed to escape after paying ₹25 lakh (about $29,000 USD) to secure her freedom, and even helped rescue eight other women with the support of an NGO. That experience shaped much of who she is today and fuels her work as an advocate for survivor rights, body autonomy, and mental health awareness.

In 2023, she stepped onto the global stage when she made it into the Top 5 of the Playboy Lingerie Model Hunt — a breakthrough moment for Indian representation in that contest. Her style is bold and unapologetic, and as a plus‑size model she’s carved out a space that challenges long‑held beauty norms. By mid‑2025, she’d gone viral thanks to a saree transformation reel set to the song Dame Un Grrr, pulling in millions of views and cementing her status as a rising star on Instagram.

That same summer, her life took another dramatic turn. In July 2025, Archita became the target of a high‑profile deepfake scandal. Police later arrested her ex‑boyfriend, Pratim Bora, accusing him of creating and running a fake Instagram account called “Babydoll Archi,” which used stolen images of Archita alongside AI‑generated explicit content. Among the fakes was an image of her with U.S. adult star Kendra Lust — a fabrication that fueled false rumors about her entering the adult industry. Investigators say Bora monetized the images without her consent and did it to humiliate her after their breakup. He now faces multiple charges, including cyber fraud, identity theft, defamation, and privacy violations.

Archita’s response was to take control of her narrative once again — changing her online identity to “Amira Ishtara” and speaking out about the dangers of deepfake tech, the need for digital safety, and the importance of stronger protections for victims. Claims that she ever worked in Amsterdam’s De Wallen district, released an X‑rated amateur film, or became an adult model remain unfounded and appear to stem from the misinformation spread during the fake account’s run.

Her journey is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: Archita has turned survival into strength. Whether she’s modeling, creating digital content, or advocating for others, she continues to challenge stereotypes, confront digital exploitation, and redefine what it means to be a modern Indian woman on her own terms.