/elle-india/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/12/2024-12-12t050944592z-2024-11-18t092336231z-czebsydrcd4dzd67f1wr.webp)
/elle-india/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/12/2024-12-12t050944592z-2024-11-18t092336231z-czebsydrcd4dzd67f1wr.webp)
/elle-india/media/media_files/2025/10/20/feature-publive-24-2025-10-20-16-15-13.png)
When Ahsaas Channa smiles, there’s an easy familiarity about it, like someone you’ve grown up watching on your screen, evolving in real time. From Kota Factory’s pragmatic Shivangi to the chaos-loving Archie in Half CA, she’s been the girl who says what we’re all thinking — sharp, self-aware, and deeply relatable.
Now, she’s stepping into a new chapter with Greater Kalesh, her first solo-led film streaming on Netflix. Directed by Aditya Chandiok and produced by Terribly Tiny Tales, the 52-minute Diwali special captures the delicate messiness of going home — the love, the unresolved arguments, and the small acts of grace that hold families together.
When I catch Channa over a call one busy afternoon, she’s mid-laugh, a sound that instantly fills the line with warmth. “If my voice is echoing, you’ll know I’m multitasking,” she jokes, before settling into a quieter corner. “Honestly, when I first read the script, it reminded me of those old-school Disney shorts,” she tells me. “It’s not your usual family drama; it’s gentle, familiar, and very kind-hearted. Everyone in the story knows everyone; this warmth is so rare to see now.”
For her, what stood out most was the simplicity of the writing. “You know how so many OTT shows these days are dark and heavy? This one just felt light. It’s something you can watch with your parents, laugh at, tear up a little, and not feel drained. Simple writing is actually the hardest thing to do — it’s so easy to mess it up. But Chandiok and the Terribly Tiny Tales team really nailed that tone.”
A Diwali Homecoming
Greater Kalesh follows Twinkle, a young woman who returns home for a surprise Diwali visit, only to find that the comfort of home comes with its own share of discomfort. Between unspoken tensions and family secrets, the film traces the quiet evolution of love and the moment we begin to see our parents not as figures, but as people.
“I’ve actually never lived away from home,” Channa admits. “My work’s in Mumbai, where my parents are too, so I’ve been really lucky that way. But I totally relate to Twinkle’s guilt, that feeling that you’re not spending enough time with your mum because you’re constantly working.” She pauses, thoughtful. “Even if I’m home, I make sure to give my mother at least an hour every day, whether it’s coffee in the morning or just sitting together. She never makes me feel guilty for being busy, and that’s exactly how Twinkle’s mum is in the film, loving but quietly strong.”
That mother-daughter dynamic forms the emotional backbone of the film. Twinkle’s relationship with her mother, played beautifully by Supriya Shukla, mirrors so many real-life Indian households, full of unspoken affection, occasional friction, and deep understanding. “Supriyaji is such a wonderful person,” Channa smiles. “She’s known for these nurturing roles, and she genuinely is that person off-camera, too. Even after all her experience, she’s open to notes, she collaborates, she listens. We had such lovely energy on set."
Becoming Twinkle
If her earlier roles were marked by a spark of mischief and rapid-fire humour, Twinkle represents something softer, quieter, and far more introspective. “We wanted her to be completely different from anything I’ve done before,” she explains. “She’s calm, she thinks before she reacts, she’s not performative. Most of my characters have been expressive and slightly dramatic — Twinkle is restrained. Playing her felt like growing up on screen.”
It was also the first time Channa played a character older than herself. “Twinkle’s probably in her late twenties, so I had to approach her with more stillness, physically, emotionally, even in how she speaks. That was a challenge I really enjoyed.”
She credits director Chandiok for guiding her through that transformation. “He’s one of the warmest directors I’ve worked with. He genuinely cares about how actors feel on set, not just about the shot, but about your headspace. And he’s incredibly focused. We were working with limited resources, and he still managed to make something so visually and emotionally rich. Imagine what he could do with more time and budget. It’s exciting to think about.”
A Career Full of Firsts
For someone who started her journey as a child actor and became a household name through digital storytelling, Greater Kalesh marks a defining milestone. “It’s my first film as the solo lead,” she says, almost disbelievingly. “I still haven’t fully processed it. To have your face on a Netflix poster it’s surreal! It’s also my third project with them, and there are two more coming next year. It’s a dream for any actor to find a home like this.”
The film has already climbed to the top of Netflix India’s charts, trending globally across 19 countries, a fact Channa mentions with quiet pride. “I haven’t had the time to really sit and take it in yet. But every time someone messages me saying they watched it with their family, that’s the best feeling.”
She laughs when I ask if she has a favourite Diwali comfort watch of her own. “Oh, definitely Jab We Met, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., and Welcome. Those are my forever replays. I think Greater Kalesh belongs in that category, too.”
Twinkle, in All Her Complexity
As much as Greater Kalesh feels lighthearted, Twinkle herself isn’t. “She’s complicated,” Channa says with affection. “She wants things her way, she overthinks, she probably has a touch of control, but she means well. I think her biggest kalesh is being misunderstood. She’s not perfect, but she’s real.”
And perhaps that’s what makes both Channa and Twinkle resonate so deeply, the blend of honesty and self-awareness. “As I’m growing older, I catch myself becoming more like my mum,” she laughs. “I used to roll my eyes at her habits, and now I find myself doing the same things and understanding why she did them. That’s such a universal thing, isn’t it? You realise your parents were just trying their best.”
Finding Her Own Light
There’s a quiet confidence in the way Channa speaks now, not the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a newcomer, but the steady rhythm of someone who knows she’s earned her place. “I think I’ve always wanted to act,” she says simply. “And I’ve been lucky to play characters people see themselves in. But with Greater Kalesh, I feel like I’ve stepped into a new space, it’s not just about being relatable anymore; it’s about being real.”
Before hanging up, I asked her to describe the film in three words. She doesn’t pause for long. “Warm, relatable, hopeful,” she says.
And that’s exactly what Greater Kaleshand Channa herself feel like: proof that sometimes, the simplest stories hold the deepest truths, and that the brightest light often comes from home.
Also, read