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.
Denne historien er fra June 17, 2023-utgaven av Brunch.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 17, 2023-utgaven av Brunch.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Man of the moments
Sunil Chhetri has retired from football, but he's not done yet. The 40-year-old legend talks about the moments that defined his careerand why his biggest achievement is off the field
Sonal Kaushal
Voice artist, YouTuber, content creator, @The_Motormouth
Raising the nepo rate
Who said privilege was a bad thing? These 10 celeb kids are clapping back at their family legacies and forging ahead on their own
It's rally been a treat
For car lovers, the 1000 Miglia Experience UAE is an opportunity to see - and talk about - rare, timeless cars in all their glory
Mess around and find out
Live while you're young. It's the time to make mistakes, experiment with jobs and relationships, and flirt with new cities
Rewind, reheat, taste, repeat
For anyone tracking the food scene, 2024 has been a year of spectacular highs. See which chefs, restaurants and trends made the cut and will shape the year to come
Thinking on their feet
Viral moves, hook steps, even fakers. Insta has changed how dance evolves. See how creators stay on their toes
Try these new party tricks
The good news: This season's fashion staples can create a party look, a holiday fit and a wedding look too. There is no bad news
Make every second count
History rarely celebrates the runner-up. But we should. It's where the tales of grit and comebacks lie
Pragya Kapoor
Film producer, @PragyaKapoor_
