Sumukhi Suresh on the need to experiment beyond the comedy circuit with reality show ‘Chhoriyan Chali Gaon’
Sumukhi Suresh. Pic/Instagram
One would never expect stand-up comedian Sumukhi Suresh to sign up for a Hindi reality show. But she did. So, we caught up with her right before she left on this social experiment to know why. After The Royals, the comedian — who also wrote Pushpavalli (2017–2020) and CTRL (2024) — says she was keen to shake up her life. And Chhoriyan Chali Gaon made her “nervous.” In conversation with mid-day, Suresh talks about her daring decision, her plans to catch the heart of a gaon ka chhora, and her next script.
Excerpts from the interview.
Your career trajectory is vastly different from your fellow comedians. How did you settle from stand-up to a Hindi reality show?
I’m doing television. Can you believe it? I’m genuinely very excited because it has been so long since I did something new and [something that makes me] nervous. Literally everyone I know has been surprised by my decision. Just a day [before coming on board], I was going through full-blown panic, thinking, what am I doing with my life? While everyone feels I am doing so many things, I don’t register it.
So how long did it take for you to say yes to this?
I said yes instantly. Because honestly, it is time. If I don’t shake up things and see what is there for me, I will get stuck. As stand-up comedians, we are so comfortable bombing and also doing well in our crowd that I don’t know — how can I even reach the next level? A lot of good comedians have done their fair share of things. Like Vir [Das] has done movies, stand-up, then there is Zakir [Khan], who has done his own TV show. Be it Tanmay [Bhat] or [Gursimran] Khamba, they’ve all explored. So, I believe it is time to see what is out there for me to understand what kind of artiste I am.
How do you decide that this is your next move?
This scared me the most. Look at all the contestants, everyone is so comfortable in their skin here and my skin is the only different one here. So, I thought of trying it. Even if I fail, it’s fine. But I want to make sure that I do it well and see if my personality can be something that is interesting to watch.
So are you prepared to give up the comforts of the city and bear the heat?
So yes, I know the bathroom woes are going to be raw, and I am scared. I haven’t carried toilet paper like others — guess I will take someone’s help. I don’t think too much. I will manage with the Indian washroom or whatever there is. I have been doing lots of squats in the gym because I didn’t know anything about the show. All I know is that it is going to be physically gruelling. I have been working out, but nothing like the femme fatales like Krishna [Shroff] and Erika [Packard]. Plus, they all know acting. In front of them, I am like a two on 10, but I’ll at least look good. As for the heat, I am from Nagpur, so it’s fine. All my skincare is sorted. I am carrying my clothes, and most importantly, my coffee. That’s the one thing I am attached to and want. This is going to be intense and insane. If I don’t lean into it completely, then I am not doing it for the right reason. It is going to be like the boot camp that refreshes me. Maybe, I’ll come back as a brand new person.
What was the reaction of your circle? Will Tanmay have a special podcast on it?
Everyone’s really startled. But to be fair, some of them have said they will see it and [are sure] it will be entertaining. The comics have been wishing me luck and adding, ‘This is going to be terrible.’ I feel like Tanmay will avoid this. He avoids triggers.
Any plans to capture the heart of a gaon ka chhora?
I already have plans. As everybody knows, I’m as Hoemonal [her stand-up show] as a fox. And I’m not an elitist at all.
What’s next for you?
Well, I’m done with my Hoemonal tour in India. I’ve closed my India tour, but I’m doing shows in the UK and then the US. I’ve written two interesting movies. One is a revenge comedy, the other is a frothy family comedy. I’ve also written dialogues for a movie that he’s [Vikramaditya Motwane] directed already. It’s too good and fun — it is a lust comedy.
11
Total contestants
60
Number of days on the show
Location of gaon
Bamuliya, Near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
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