Ayesha Kanga, whose debut as the headstrong & fiesty Yashika in the smash hit streaming series Class became a huge talking point, is the new Gen Z face that everyone is talking about. From stealing the show in Class with her brilliant acting as a hot-tempered, impulsive, and conniving girl who is ruthless about winning at anything, Ayesha Kanga has also worked hard to become one of the most disruptive voices in fashion today!
A topper from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ayesha Kanga is the girl who has her eyes set firmly on Bollywood and ruling the Indian fashion circuit. She has been recognised as the Most Disruptive Force of Fashion by the most reputed fashion magazine of the country, Vogue.
Ayesha is thrilled about the year that she has had. She says, “What a year it’s been. The overwhelming love that Class received gave me the confidence boost I needed to present myself to the world, unapologetically. And credit goes to possibly the greyest mean-girl archetype, Yashika. Debuting as a character as headstrong and feisty as her, gave me so much to work with. I fell in love with her the day I auditioned.”
No one knows this but Class director, the inimitable Ashim Ahluwalia, got Ayesha to also contribute creatively to the show!
Ayesha says, “An unending thanks to the visionary, Ashim Ahluwalia, for giving me the creative freedom to mould this character into my own. Whether it was re-writing Yashika’s dialogue, co-creating a scene that wasn’t written into the show, writing the digital inserts of livestream comments and text messages on the show, or suggesting outfits she’d wear – thank you for letting me bring Yashika to life.“
She adds, “We even got to cast my sister Trisha on the show- Trisha ended up writing a hilarious improvised scene as well! I’m so lucky,”
Ayesha’s life changed overnight as Class grabbed the nation’s attention! “Hearing the iconic “TUDUM” sound play right before watching the first episode on release day was absolutely surreal. I still can’t believe it. Netflix, man. Thank you. Ever since I debuted on Netflix, it’s been one big party for me, professionally,” she says.
She adds, “From creative direction to self-styling every red carpet – I’m slowly starting to live out every single one of my dreams. All I’ve ever wanted is to create some sort of art- in fashion, and in performance.”
Ayesha reveals her wait to shine has been longer since she is an outsider. But now that she is here, she intends to give it her all!
The young actress says, “Being an industry outsider who’s never even really foot in an acting class – god knows, I’ve had to work to get here. But I’ve never felt more driven than I am today. As an actor perpetually motivated to carve a distinctive niche, I’m committed to working tirelessly to substantiate my work as an actor and make an indelible mark on an industry I’ve loved for so long.”