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
Let's tri all the angles
BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings
Should you Q up for this?
Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing
How to plan a great escape
It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless
I can be your hero
Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him
Meet the export experts
Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores
Why we're all feeling Blue
Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?
This week, we're...
Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers
Rohit Chawla
Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_
Congratulations, it's a goal
Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of
