Kunal Chhabhria, the long-time manager and producing partner for Indian YouTube sensation Ashish Chanchlani, revealed that the team’s recent five-part sci-fi series, Ekaki, cost approximately ₹10 crore to produce.
Speaking on a recent episode of the creator economy podcast The Creator Room, Chhabhria detailed how the project evolved from a modest ₹1.5 crore YouTube video into a massive cinematic undertaking.
The series, which marks a significant departure from Chanchlani’s traditional slapstick comedy sketches, represents a strategic pivot toward high-production value storytelling within the Indian digital ecosystem.
The financial scale of the project was initially met with internal apprehension as the budget ballooned during production.
Chhabhria explained that the team faced a critical choice between selling the series to a major over-the-top (OTT) platform or releasing it for free on Chanchlani’s primary YouTube channel, Ashish Chanchlani Vines.
Chanchlani ultimately decided to prioritize his existing audience, choosing to host the content on YouTube despite the lack of immediate cost recovery.
Chhabhria noted that the investment was viewed as a “brand-building” move intended to establish Chanchlani as a serious director and producer rather than a temporary financial gain.
The production of Ekaki served as a steep learning curve for the team, which had previously operated with a lean crew and minimal equipment for nearly 12 years.
Chhabhria admitted that the transition to a professional film set required hiring specialized roles such as first assistant directors and digital imaging technicians.
He highlighted “day-for-night” shooting as one of the most significant technical challenges that delayed the project’s release and increased post-production costs.
Aspiring creators were offered a sober perspective on the current state of the influencer market during the discussion. Chhabhria advised against “blind consistency,” a common industry term referring to the pressure to upload content daily regardless of quality.
He encouraged new influencers to focus on building a distinct brand identity and high-quality “IP” (intellectual property) rather than chasing short-term viral numbers.
He noted that while the team took a significant financial hit on Ekaki, the series has already opened doors for long-term endorsements and production deals that were previously unavailable to traditional social media stars.
Chhabhria has been a central figure in Ashish Chanchlani’s career since 2014, serving as an actor, editor, and the primary manager for the channel, which currently boasts over 30 million subscribers.
A partner at the talent management firm CollabX Entertainment, Chhabhria began his own journey in the entertainment industry as a child artist on Zee TV before transitioning into digital production.
His collaboration with Chanchlani is widely considered one of the most successful and enduring partnerships in the Indian creator economy, helping to turn a local comedy channel into a multi-vertical media brand.
