In the world of show business, Ayesha Kanga, 27, is practically brand new. She debuted with Netflix's Class in February. Already, there are 104K followers on Instagram. On a recent trip to Jaipur, she was stopped at least 10 times by fans seeking a selfie.
"I thought, I should probably start dressing better," says Kanga, laughing. She hadn't planned to be famous. The design graduate wanted to be a creative director, make art and live off her laptop. She started modelling "because I'm tall and skinny". When the agency asked her to audition for the show, she did it out of boredom.
"We were 11 newcomers in the remake of the hit Spanish series, Elite," she recalls. "People would either hate it or love it. I thought we'd just be ignored - I'm a Negative Nelly that way. The attention is a complete slap in the face." Kanga admits to feeling awkward around bigname celebrities and creating a public persona. Helping her cope is her mother, Suneeta Kanga. She follows her daughter's co-stars on social media and comments on their pictures. "My family is starstruck. They are living their Bollywood fantasy through me, with questions about Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff. Of course, I spill the tea!" she says.
Right now, Kanga is so fresh to fame, even the hate messages are a novelty. "No one has cared about me enough to hate me online before!"
The grudging celebrity
Taba Chake
Fingerstyle guitarist and singer Taba Chake, 31, made his debut in 2016 with his EP, Bond with Nature. He followed it up with the 2019 album Bombay Dreams, which got over 25 million streams on Spotify. Earlier this year, his Reel, covering Harry Styles' As It Was, got more than 1 lakh views in a few days. On the Bengaluru leg of his album tour in 2019, he lost his voice on stage due to the flu. Fans simply filled in, singing as he played.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Give the bad guys a break
Some were third wheeling. Some were just doing their job. Hit replay.
Waving the matic wand
Mercedes knows how to make a customer happy, both in the driver's seat and at the back. The new E 450 is all class, all power, all business-for an all-consuming price
Give milk a kiss and a curdle
The world is now realising what India has long known: Milk is healthy, boiling kills germs, cheese is safe. Forget fanatics and fads. Just listen to your body and palate
Turn on the switch
Make space on your beauty counter! Here's our expert-approved list of the best makeup, skincare and haircare dupes in the business
No roses, just romance
Had enough of Valentine's Day cliches? How about honouring real love, every day, with a million little gestures that matter?
Keeping the romance alive
No heart feelings. David Nicholls says that all love stories are actually about loneliness. One Day gave us hope. His new novel, You Are Here, gives us more
Wait. Have we met before?
When OG holiday hotspots get too crowded, switch to a destination dupe. These places offer a similar vibe, and are often cheaper too
Happily never after
Viewers were basically robbed when these fan-fav characters didn't end up together. These 10 almost pairings hurt the most
No love in this triangle
Work, socialise, sleep. It's getting impossible to even do the three basics. Why is the bare minimum so out of reach these days?
Catching up with Kochi
The city is Christian and Hindu, laidback and booming, traditional and global. That mix reflects both in its old flavours and new food businesses too
