Sep 24, 2026 10:00pm IST
Sandeepa Dhar on ‘Chumbak’ and Breaking Comedy Stereotypes: ‘Women Are Not Just Supporting Characters’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sandeepa Dhar makes her comedy debut with Netflix’s “Chumbak,” created by Aatish Kapadia and J.D. Majethia. Playing Kiran, the comparatively sane and strategic member of an eccentric neighborhood, Dhar discusses stepping into the genre, the show’s refreshing portrayal of women, working with Sumeet Raghavan and what could lie ahead for Season 2.
This is your first comedy. Why did you decide to explore this genre with ‘Chumbak’?
Comedy is a very tricky genre to try. Not just writing, it is dependent on many other factors. The writing can be great, but it may not land correctly if you don’t do it well. Directors have to take care of the tonality too. There are so many factors that have come together in the right mixture for it to work. Aatish Kapadia and JD Majethia have been doing this for some time with shows like “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai” and “Khichdi.” They are phenomenal with what they do. When I read the script, I told them how much it reminds me of their previous shows.
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Your character was still somewhere on the saner side…
Yes, I had to attempt and do comedy while still being the sane one. It is much easier to do comedy when you have funny dialogues. Here I had to be normal and play with reactions. It is tough because you don’t want to go overboard and start overacting. I knew it would be tough to perform as others had over-the-top characteristics, which they could utilize to make the audience laugh.
Did you happen to get any other comedy roles before this?
Many, actually. I had also gotten approached for films, which are now franchises. They are successful at being funny franchises too. But I feel like comedy can cross a line, when it comes to portraying women. We see that a lot. People use sexual innuendos to make it funny. Sometimes, abuses are used to make something funny. That’s not my zone or the kind of stuff I watch.
What made ‘Chumbak’ particularly exciting for you, especially when it comes to how women are written?
I’m glad you asked this. I was interested in the show because women were not shown as stereotypical beings. Usually, in a comedy, the men have all the comic parts while women are just supporting characters. But that is not the case here at all. Here, we have Twinkle (Helly Shah), who is the forerunner of comedy in the show. We’re not showing women sitting and cooking or serving food to men. In fact, that is something Aatish has done very purposefully. He made sure that we are not following stereotypical gender roles. Even when I was reading the script, I felt that it was really refreshing to see someone writing women’s roles like this.
Your character is portrayed to be ambitious…
Kiran is a working woman. She’s balancing work and home. She’s an air hostess who is used to managing 200 people in an aircraft at 35,000 feet, but her real life is more chaotic and turbulent than any flight she’s ever been on. She’s the strategist of the group, the one who plans things and makes things happen. You’ll come to know more about that as the story progresses over the next eight episodes.
Speaking about the next episode, you’re part of a large cliffhanger…
If you thought the first eight episodes were funny, you are going to be rolling with laughter in the next eight. It’s going to be funnier because a lot happens. We’ll also see more of Kiran’s equation with Dharmendra (Sumeet Raghavan). It’s going to be a laughter riot.
Have you finished filming all the eight episodes of part two?
Yes, filming is complete for the 16 episodes from Season 1. Netflix planned the release in such a way that they released the first eight episodes, and are to release the next eight a month later.
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Since most of your scenes are with Sumeet Raghavan, what were your reactions to his avatars throughout the show?
Working with Sumeet Raghavan was a highlight. His comic timing is phenomenal and every day he would arrive in a different avatar. There was even a chudail (witch) sequence where I asked Aatish not to tell me what Sumeet would look like, so my reaction would be completely genuine. When I saw the white wig, black lips and long nails, I was genuinely petrified and even mumbled the Gayatri Mantra (a sacred prayer in Hinduism), which they kept in the scene. Working with Raghavan, Deven Bhojani and Neena Gupta felt like a film school. We all bonded beautifully, ate incredible Gujarati food and genuinely felt like family. I can't wait to go back and start season 2, to be honest. I feel like we are even better because we all now know each other so well.
Is Season 2 being discussed?
That’s always the case. They were always talking about there being a Season 2. When Netflix was checking the show, they were also excited about it. They were telling Aatish to begin writing Season 2. I have my fingers crossed.
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