Popular content creator and actor Ashish Chanchlani recently ventured into the sci-fi genre with his YouTube series ‘Ekaki’, marking a major shift from the comedy sketches that made him famous online. Ashish wrote, directed, produced and acted in the series. The show mixes elements of science fiction, horror and comedy, inspired by the fascination with aliens and the fear of the unknown.In an interview with Hindustan Times, the founder explained how the idea first came to him during a discussion with friends. Speaking about the concept, he said, “Fear of the unknown is a very good subject that has not been explored well. When we find something strange or mysterious, we always say it’s a ghost, but we never question its reality.”
How the idea of ’Ekaki’ came about
Ashish revealed that the main idea for the series came from a simple discussion with friends about supernatural stories where he started imagining an alternative explanation. He also explained that people often assume that strange events are caused by ghosts and wanted to explore the possibility of something very unusual.He recalled telling his friends, “One day, I was with my friends, and I said, ‘You say there are ghosts here, but it could also be aliens.’ That’s how it came about, first we’re going to create an environment to make people believe that there’s a ghost here, but in the end we’re going to reveal that it was a foreigner.’ Also, writing the script was a difficult process and the team wanted to keep the story simple despite dealing with a sci-fi theme.Ashish said, “So it took us a lot of time to write the script because it was very delicate. And my first rule of thumb for writing this genre was that we don’t overcomplicate it. Sci-fi is a subject that is rarely touched upon in India. But we will take it wholeheartedly, but also make sure it’s not just for shock value.”
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Which aspect of ‘Ekaki’ excites you the most?
Taking a risk in your 30s
For Ashish, Ekaki was also a turning point in his career. Known for making comedy videos about everyday life, he wanted to try something different.Ashish said, “And I said, ‘I’m 30 now, if I don’t take a risk now, then when will I take a risk?’ How long will I continue making Holi content, Diwali and teaching classes?”In his opinion, the public eventually gets bored with repetitive content.
Financial loss but emotional satisfaction
Ashish has admitted that the project has not been financially successful so far: “If we look at the money, I have a big loss, but emotionally and mentally, I am getting a lot of profit today. Paise kama lenge aage chalke 100% (We will make money in future 100%). Ashish also explained that various OTT platforms initially struggled to understand the format of the show: “There were many OTTs who did not understand what I was trying to do. This genre I’ve done is just sketch comedy; It has that YouTube feel but mixed with stories. It’s a new thing we were trying to do, and they weren’t able to understand it.’ Interestingly, shortly before the release of the show, he revealed that he turned down a lucrative offer. Ashish said, “Yes, we were offered a good amount of money. 10 days before the release, a very good platform offered me money, and I could have easily withdrawn. But I would not have been happy.”
Addressing the Stranger Things comparisons
Ashish also addressed the comparisons between a scene in ‘Ekaki’ and the finale of ‘Stranger Things’. Some viewers noticed similarities between a moment on the show where her character uses telekinesis and a scene from the popular series. However, Ashish clarified that the similarity was purely coincidental: “’Stranger Things’ finale was on January 1, 2026, and we shot ‘Ekaki’ in 2024. The scene where I use telekinesis and lift the alien is completely similar, but we wrote that scene three years back. I’m actually happy that we could join the ideas of the ‘Stranger Things’ team.” The creator also revealed that the series pays homage to Rakesh Roshan’s ‘Koi… Mil Gaya’, which he said was one of the boldest alien-themed films made in Hindi cinema.Written and directed by Ashish Chanchlani, the series stars Akash Dodeja, Rohit Sadhwani, Harsh Rane, Sidhant Sarfare, Shashank Shekharand Grishim Navani.
