ELLE Digital Cover Star: Aisha Ahmed, The Calm In The Chaos

It’s 5:30 AM on a cloudy Saturday morning in Mumbai. The city is quiet yet fully awake, bells from the nearby chaiwala echo through the streets, and amidst the closed, colourful shutters, Malido Cafe has graciously opened its windowed, green doors for the ELLE shoot. The crew moves with an unspoken urgency, half an eye on the set-up, the other on the grey sky outside. And then, Aisha Ahmed walks in. She’s exactly as you imagine her—chic without trying too hard, laid-back in the most effortless way, and radiantly fresh for someone who’s been on a back-to-back shoot schedule all week. There’s an ease about her, with a kind of casual confidence that isn’t rehearsed or performed—it’s lived-in.

 

It’s an outdoor shoot—multiple variables, endless what-ifs, worst-case scenarios playing on loop, and a near-constant checking of the weather app. But she knows the rhythm of the day, slips into it without a hitch, and makes the space her own. An otherwise hectic day for the rest of the team is a pretty “chill” day, according to her, as she munches on popcorn between our running breaks. With each shot, it is sufficiently clear how she’s perceptive, adaptive, and creatively intuitive. One can see the years of training, the understanding of the craft, and the natural instincts that come from growing up in a family steeped in the industry. Her energy is palpable—subtle, yet magnetic, shifting the room’s pulse without ever demanding attention.  

Not Your Usual Girl-Next-Door

 

Ahmed has managed to capture hearts with her performances in coming-of-age web series like Adulting and Minus One, where her portrayal of relatable, modern, flawed characters struck a chord with audiences. There’s an effortless charm to how she inhabits these roles. It’s a subconscious reflection of her own personality too, as she candidly admits, “I don’t immediately realise the similarity in the characters I play, but it strikes a lot later after filming that oh wait, I’m feeling exactly how my character felt during a scene."

For Ahmed, the focus has always been on the work and the joy it brings, rather than the spotlight that follows. When I ask her about fame, she shrugs it off with a quiet, matter-of-factness: “When people come up for pictures, I don’t think, ‘Oh, I’m famous.’ It’s just a normal part of life.” Perhaps that’s the grounding effect of growing up surrounded by industry veterans—her mother (Rukhsar Rehman), her friends, who’ve shaped how she sees the world and her place in it.

 

Having spent nearly a decade in the industry, Ahmed has seen it all—the highs, the lows, the inevitable uncertainties that come with the territory. She does not sugarcoat it. In fact, she’s refreshingly candid about the things she’s still trying to unlearn and understand. Her definition of success—and what it means to be a “celebrity”—has evolved, especially in the years post-COVID. “I just want to keep my head down and do the work,” she says simply, “and not really think about the final goal. Earlier, I used to think, ‘Okay, I need to get to a certain place, and do a certain number of things.’ But now, I’ve let all of that go. I just focus on the work—because that’s what makes me happy. The rest doesn’t matter.”

Keeping It Real: Runway, Fashion And Beyond

 

I remember seeing her friends being her loudest, most joyful cheerleaders when she walked the runway for Saaksha & Kinni at Lakmé Fashion Week S/S 25 collection. Ahmed recalls a small, almost unnoticed moment— her hands trembling as she struggled to slip a sunscreen back into its cover mid-walk. “Everyone said, ‘Oh wow, you walked so well,’ but only I know how nervous I was. I saved that clip as a reminder,” she says, smiling. It’s a small detail, but for Ahmed, it’s a grounding one—a reminder that behind every polished moment, there’s a very human story. When I asked her what message she wanted to send through the ramp, she admitted —there was no grand plan to inspire or prove a point. She simply wanted to do a good job. But in doing so, she did leave a message: that sometimes, showing up and doing your best, even when it feels overwhelming, is more than enough.

 

It is not easy to openly talk about a weak moment, under the watchful eyes of the media, but Ahmed has always been vocal about mental health and her journey with therapy. “Kids now know a lot more about mental health, anxiety, and depression compared to what I did back then. So when I started going through anxiety, I was really in shock.” She takes a moment and appreciates her mother’s efforts in advocating for therapy. “If sharing my journey helps even one person, I’d be glad—because no one should feel unheard or alone.”

What Could Be Next?

 

Ahmed doesn’t have a checklist to tick off—no rigid path she feels the need to follow. The road ahead is open and wide, and her fans are ready, waiting. When asked what kind of stories she’d love to explore, she lights up, mentioning how the complexities and quiet truths of a mother-daughter relationship have never really been captured in the way they deserve. It’s a dynamic she’d love to help bring to life on screen.

 

The rain makes a fleeting cameo, but true to her Mumbaikar roots, Ahmed is unfazed. She’s quick to suggest variations, adapt, and nudge the team to push the envelope, go bolder, and try something new. Through every change and last-minute improvisation an outdoor shoot demands, she’s all in—there’s no street too narrow, no pair of heels too high. She swaps her signature sneakers-and-tee uniform for something riskier without a second thought, and when she does, she wears it like it was always meant for her. She throws herself into the process, heart-first, adapting to the chaos with a rare, steady calm.

ELLE India Editor: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Videographer: Anurag G Ekka; Jr. Fashion Stylist & Words by: Tejashree Raul; Asst. Art Director: Alekha Chugani; Makeup: Ambica Kukrety; Hair: Neha Parmar; Bookings Editor: Rishith Shetty; Assisted by: Idris Nidham (styling), Jharna Mandowara (bookings); Hospitality Partner: Malido Cafe & Apero; Artist Management: Collective Artists Network