A CLASS ACT

THESE FIVE STARS BECAME OVERNIGHT SUCCESSES, THANKS TO THEIR MATURE PERFORMANCES THAT BELIE THEIR AGE. AT THEIR CANDID BEST, ACTORS ANJALI SIVARAMAN, ZEYN SHAW, CWAAYAL SINGH, PIYUSH KHATI AND AYESHA KANGA SHARE WITH HELLO! THEIR CAREER ARC AND HOW DISSIMILAR (OR NOT) THEIR LIVES ARE TO THE CHARACTERS THEY PORTRAY...

- NAYARE ALI

They came, they saw, they conquered! Their Netflix show, Class an adaptation of the globally acclaimed Spanish series Elite became an instant sensation on release, finding a connect with many a generation for delving into a narrative often ignored in today's society: the class divide students face in schools. Overnight, Anjali Sivaraman, Zeyn Shaw, Cwaayal Singh, Piyush Khati and Ayesha Kanga became household names for their gripping performances. Each talented in their own way and from backgrounds as varied as their characters, in this dark yet engrossing show where two parallel worlds collide.

While their on-screen personas may not always get along, on the set of the HELLO! shoot, there was nothing but pure magic. The actors share an endearing camaraderie that comes through on camera and even as they share tall glasses of cold coffee. HELLO! gets candid with the brilliant ensemble cast, digging deep into who they really are behind the scenes...

PIYUSH KHATI 

What was it like growing up in Ranikhet?

It’s a magical place. Everyone has that one dream they can’t forget. Every time they close their eyes, it’s still vivid and evokes certain emotions that you don’t feel on a regular day. That dream, those memories play like a Tim Burton movie, painted on the canvas of my subconscious. It’s a place that raised me on its sheer beauty; its people have inspired me to be determined in the harshest of conditions. Living in the mountains taught me something sacrosanct for an actor — the art of being patient — as it’s no easy feat. Neither is starting out in our industry.

Class is your third OTT series after Criminal Justice (2019) and Extraction (2020). How did you foray into the online space?