Ekaki Chapter 1 review: Ashish Chanchlani’s long-awaited return lands with big ambition but uneven execution

Ekaki marks Ashish Chanchlani’s ambitious return to YouTube, but the uneven balance between humour and horror keeps Chapter 1 from fully landing its punch.

After nearly three years of silence, cryptic teasers, and a build-up that had the internet talking, Ashish Chanchlani finally returned to YouTube with Ekaki Chapter 1. For a creator whose sketches became a staple for an entire generation of viewers, this release felt like a major moment, almost like a reset button in his career. The question is whether the first chapter lives up to the anticipation surrounding it. The short answer is that Ekaki shows real promise, especially in its visual language and mood, but struggles to stay consistent. 

As the writer, director, and producer under his ACV Studios banner, Ashish brings together a familiar group of collaborators, including Akash Dodeja and Shashank Shekhar, and sets them off on what begins as a seemingly carefree weekend trip to the unsettling Ekaki Villa. What works immediately is the production quality, which is noticeably higher than anything Ashish has attempted before. The final few minutes capture the tone the series seems to be aiming for and ends on a chilling note that effectively hooks the viewer for Chapter 2.

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The problem is that the build-up takes far too long to find its footing. The first half of the episode leans heavily on comedy, especially sexual innuendos and exaggerated “bro humour” that feels dated and overused. A major part of this problem comes from how the characters are written. The group of friends is introduced with the intention of creating a lively, believable setting but their personalities feel one-dimensional, as if each person has been assigned a single trait that defines them throughout the episode. The group’s banter is meant to come across as something natural but ends up sounding overly scripted, as if every line is written to become a Reel-friendly punchline. This pulls the pace down significantly and makes the shift from comedy to horror feel abrupt rather than organic.

Because the humour dominates a large portion of the runtime, the narrative rhythm gets disrupted. The audience is still adjusting to the loud, joke-heavy sequences when the story suddenly pivots towards tension and silence, which makes the later horror scenes feel less impactful than they should. The characters also don’t always behave like real friends who are on a trip together and instead sound like exaggerated versions of online personalities, which weakens the emotional grounding of the story.

Even with these shortcomings, Ekaki Chapter 1 is not without merit. It is ambitious, visually confident, and clearly designed to be different from Ashish Chanchlani’s regular comic universe. The closing sequence shows that the series is capable of delivering effective horror when it focuses on atmosphere and restraint. It also leaves behind enough intrigue to keep viewers curious about where the story goes next.

As a standalone chapter, it feels like a mixed start that leans more on nostalgia than narrative strength, but as the beginning of a larger project, it holds enough potential to warrant patience. The real test will be whether Chapter 2 and the rest of the series tighten the pacing, cut down the overstretched comedy, and fully commit to the eerie tone that the ending hints at. 

Ekaki is currently streaming live on YouTube

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