SS Rajamouli, the visionary director known for Baahubali and RRR, seldom offers public praise for other cinematic works. Given his stature as a leading filmmaker, his commendations are rare. When he does express approval, it quickly captures attention and often becomes a trending news item across India. Recently, Rajamouli shared positive remarks about Ashish Chanchlani, the YouTuber who has also become an actor. Chanchlani had hosted the Varanasi title launch event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.
Rajamouli commented on Ashish’s latest series, Ekaki, describing it as “promising.” What particularly impressed him was the genre change, moving from horror to science fiction. He considered this shift a clever narrative choice. Rajamouli posted on social media, stating, “Met Ashish during the Varanasi event and now I am happy to see him with his own fully written, produced, and self-made series. #Ekaki looks promising… Especially the genre shift from horror to sci-fi. A clever twist. All the best @ashchanchlani !!”
Ashish openly expressed his excitement. He reciprocated the sentiment, referring to Rajamouli’s comments as his “biggest achievement.” Ashish stated, “Rajamouli sir, thank you for your guidance and kind words. Honestly, hearing this from you is a dream come true. Your reaction? My biggest achievement. Love you sir.”
Producing Ekaki presented significant challenges. Ashish took on multiple roles—writer, director, producer, and actor—which truly tested his abilities. He mentioned, “This was nothing as I’ve done before. When we started, I had no idea what we were really getting into. It was a tough ride, seven months of pre-production, 80 days of shooting, seven more months of post-production.”
Ashish further commented, “But I loved every part. Maybe I won’t do it again, maybe I will. Who knows? But putting in all that effort and seeing it come alive, it feels worth it. I just hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.” The series centers on a group of friends who embark on a weekend getaway to the enigmatic Ekaki Villa. Their enjoyable trip quickly becomes eerie as strange, unexplainable events begin to unfold. The story blends horror with science fiction in unexpected ways.
This interaction brings together prominent names like SS Rajamouli and Ashish Chanchlani, with their work on Ekaki contributing to conversations within the film industry, following events like the Varanasi launch.