Reaching FOR THE Stars

Meet the vivacious debutante of Netflix’s Class, Ayesha Kanga, who brings the eccentricity of Yashika to life. Shivpriya Bajpai in conversation

- Shivpriya Bajpai

The power of creative self-expression chartered new heights of exhilaration for model and actor Ayesha Kanga, known for her debut role as Yashika—the manipulative spoilt brat whom audiences loved to hate in the wildly popular Netflix series Class. A career in acting was not on the cards for the National Institute of Design graduate until Kanga watched the series Made in Heaven. “I wanted to be an artist, a designer and a creative director.

Modelling happened to me during the gap year in design when I was fired from a job. I was passionate about image-making and fashion. It was during the pandemic when I had a lot of free time and auditioned for Class,” she smiles as we get on a freewheeling chat.

BAGGING THE ROLE 

Kanga started with a blank slate without knowing about the series and its makers. “A friend of mine told me it was going to be the Spanish adaption of Elite, and I binged the show and fell in love with Lu, the character Yashika is based on. I was shortlisted for Koel’s character but wanted to audition for Yashika and was met with opposition. Later, I found an intern working on the project who sneaked me in to test for Yashika. I heard from them after months suddenly; I was shortlisted for both parts. I pestered my way to play Yashika onscreen,” she admits. It culminated as an extension of Kanga’s way of life, “I live my life in phases of ultimate whack. Even with acting, I pushed things and worked solely towards them with blinkers on.”