After the massive response to Ekaki, Ashish Chanchlani has revealed that he is already thinking about expanding the world of the show and potentially building a larger universe around it. Ekaki, which saw Chanchlani take on multiple roles as director, producer, writer, and actor, has received immense love from both audiences and members of the industry. The series has also earned a strong 8.2 rating on IMDb, further reflecting its popularity and appreciation among viewers.
Speaking about the possibility of expanding the story, Chanchlani shared that he has several ideas in mind. “I would love to start a universe out of it. I even have some wild ideas, and I’m thinking of a spin-off,” he said, hinting that the world of Ekaki could grow beyond its current chapters. He also opened up about the challenges he faced while pitching the show earlier, revealing that several OTT platforms struggled to understand the format he was attempting to create. The series blends YouTube-style sketch comedy with long-form storytelling, something that was unfamiliar to many platforms at the time.
“There were a lot of OTTs that did not understand what I was trying to do. This genre, which I have made, is a sketch comedy only; it has that YouTube feel but mixed with storytelling. It’s a new thing we were trying to do, and they were not able to understand it,” he explained. Interestingly, Chanchlani also revealed that he received a lucrative offer shortly before the show’s release. Despite the financial incentive, he chose not to sell the series and instead released it on YouTube.
“Yes, we were offered a good amount of money. Just 10 days before the release, a very good platform offered me money, and I could have easily cashed out. But I wouldn’t have been happy,” he said. According to him, releasing Ekaki on YouTube proved to be the right decision as it allowed the show to reach a much wider audience. “The amount of viewership that Ekaki has generated on YouTube is crazy. It’s 10X more than it would have been on any other platform. Every chapter became an event, and people kept talking about it for months,” he added, describing the series as a gift to his loyal viewers. While Chanchlani is excited about the possibility of building an Ekaki universe, he emphasized that the story must always come first.
“Universe is a very tricky thing to do. It shouldn’t be like a gimmick. Today, people think about making a universe first, without even deciding the story. It should be just the opposite,” he said. With Ekaki already receiving strong audience support and critical appreciation, the idea of expanding its world could open the door to an even bigger storytelling canvas in the future.