01 October,2026 03:49 PM IST | Mumbai | Shruti Sampat
Manasi Parekh (Picture via Instagram)
After winning the National Award for Kutch Express, Manasi Parekh was keen to take on a role that would push her into unfamiliar territory. That opportunity came with Chumbakk, where she plays Priyanka, a chatty, outspoken mother whose everyday interactions with her family and friends bring a comic layer to the Netflix series.
In an exclusive conversation, Parekh opened up about what drew her to the show and why Priyanka became an exciting challenge. "After the National Award which I got for Kutch Express, I was really looking for something challenging and something different. That is when JD sir and Aatish bhai called me. The show is for Netflix. And it's a very different, challenging character," she said.
The actor was particularly intrigued by the range the character offered. "There's going to be a lot of talking. And there's a lot of different things she does, which you have not done in any of your films or shows," she recalled. The opportunity to work with an ensemble featuring several experienced actors further sealed the deal for her. "Then I got to know I was going to be acting opposite this incredible ensemble cast. Where do you get such a cast, all amazing veterans and icons in one show. It was a no-brainer. I was like, we had to work on it," she added.
For Parekh, creating Priyanka went beyond delivering her lines. She worked on the character's body language, manner of speaking and her equation with her two sons. Being a mother herself also helped her connect with the character's everyday experiences.
"You know, the body language, the way she talks, on what kind of a mother she is with the two kids. But then I was like, why not? Because I am a mother of a nine-year-old," she said. Parekh added that several situations Priyanka encounters with her children felt familiar to her as a parent.
"There are so many things that I as a parent go through, which Priyanka goes through with her two sons. And so many people have told me that, âOh my God, we relate so much with the scenes with the kids. These are the conversations we have with our kids,'" she said.
The character's dynamic with the children has also struck a chord with younger viewers. Parekh recalled her daughter's reaction to one of the episodes, saying, "My daughter loved that episode. She said, âMamma, what a smart kid he is.' I was like, âDon't learn this from the show.' But people are loving it. Kids are going crazy."
While Priyanka often becomes the source of comic relief through her incessant talking, Parekh believes the writing ensures that she never becomes a caricature. She credits Aatish Kapadia for giving the character enough layers to make her feel real.
"That's the beauty of the writing of this character and that credit goes to Aatish bhai. He doesn't make them caricature because in every situation, she keeps blabbering. There are situations where she stops blabbering," Parekh said.
According to the actor, that contrast is what makes Priyanka relatable. "And that is how people are. People are not one-dimensional. They are complex. And I think that dichotomy he has brought about beautifully in her scenes," she added.
Parekh pointed to Priyanka's interactions with her friends as an example. Recalling a scene involving Twinkle's character and the revelation that Priyanka's husband is having an affair, she explained how the character's instinct changes when confronted with something serious.
"When she has to reel to Twinkle's character that her husband is having an affair, I mean, she doesn't do it. She dumps it on the other person. At that point, she doesn't want to say anything," she said.
The same vulnerability emerges in her scenes with her children. "With her children also, there is a time when she does get absolutely dumbfounded. Like, what should I say now? With her husband, that has not happened yet," Parekh said with a laugh.
For Parekh, it is this unpredictability that makes Priyanka a departure from the characters she has played before. Beneath the chatter and comic timing is a woman navigating motherhood, relationships and situations that sometimes leave her without an answer making Priyanka both entertaining and recognisable.
