Sumukhi Suresh: ‘I do self-censorship because I want to last for long'
Though comedian-actor Sumukhi Suresh's vivacity caught the attention of many as she danced with actor Dino Morea during a masquerade ball sequence in the recently-released Netflix series 'The Royals', it's her comedic talent that has been filling up large venues with audiences who turn up to watch her perform sketches. 'Performing for a big room has given me a risk appetite which artistes need sometimes. To taste the success of a big room that has assembled to hear you speak is such a boost and encouragement to perform and do better,' says Sumukhi, who recently performed 'Hormonal' at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre's (NMACC) The Grand Theatre.
The set, initially named 'Hoemonal' (2022), borrows heavily from her experiences during the pandemic-induced lockdown. It was during this period that Sumukhi discovered that she had PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), causing hormonal imbalances and weight gain. Also, among her pandemic realisation was that she wasn't well-versed with the dating game. So much so that her disastrous experiences triggered a fear of dying alone, giving her enough fodder for 'Hormonal'.
Sumukhi Suresh concedes that performing the show at the packed 2,000-seater NMACC venue is as much a surreal experience as it is a statement of power, which silences the critics who doubt whether women can be funny. 'How can women not be funny? Look at your mother. Our mothers are constantly funny,' says the Mumbai-based artiste, adding that 'the ultimate validation comes from the audience, who buy the ticket and attend the show.'
Through a series of sketches, she examines the lives of single, urban women in their 30s, the search for love, the fear of being alone as well as the ideas of beauty. But balancing messaging with humour is not something Sumukhi does intentionally. 'If you simulate or plan that today I will talk about this, then it does not work. The audience will see through that,' says Sumukhi, who was born and raised in Nagpur. She moved to Chennai to do her graduation and later, worked at a children's library in Bengaluru.
At a time when comedians often find themselves in trouble for speaking up against the authorities or system, Sumukhi believes in self-censorship. She says: 'The art of stand-up is connected to the performer's intuition, quick-wit and improv skills. These often land us in trouble. Second, the stand-up comedians are the voice of conflict. It is inevitable that our thoughts won't be widely accepted. I do self-censorship because I want to last for long and leave a legacy behind. That means I have to navigate the game accordingly.'
Since there are a plethora of platforms available for comedians, artistes and digital content creators, Sumukhi believes that there is no room for complacency. 'You have to practise your art. You can't keep repeating something just because the audience liked that trick,' she says. Today, artists are also vulnerable to frequent online trolling notwithstanding the following they enjoy. 'You can't predict anyone's reaction. The only thing I can say is that if you are offended, then don't engage with it (content),' she says.
Considering how naturally humour comes to Sumukhi Suresh, it is difficult to believe that being a stand-up comic wasn't a conscious career choice. She discovered her penchant for comedy when she accidentally walked into an improv event in Bengaluru, thinking it was an audition for a play. Even as she was working at a food lab, she began moonlighting as a comic on Bengaluru-based 'The Improv', a comedy show. Nearly two years later, she decided to solely focus on being a comic. She gained wider recognition when 'Pushpavalli', a web series created by her, started streaming on Amazon Prime Video in 2017 and its second season released in 2020.
Sumukhi's popularity received a fresh boost following her appearance in 'The Royals'. 'I was a last-minute addition to the show. The makers gave me the freedom to do my thing,' she recalls. How does she react to fan comments that she is 'Pushpavalli' and she 'should not have played secretary' to Bhumi Pednekar's character? 'I feel validated that something ('Pushpavalli') I created, co-wrote and acted in left a mark. It's a community of women who expect me to do well. That's amazing,' she says. Though viewers want new seasons of 'Pushpavalli', Sumukhi says that writing for herself is not always a cakewalk. She wants to be cast in shows and movies written by others.
With Vikramaditya Motwane's 'CTRL', for which she wrote the dialogues, Sumukhi made her debut as a writer. 'Though I am not trained in writing for films, working with a director-writer like Motwane became my training,' says Sumukhi, who is writing for another project directed by him.
When asked how she manages to dabble in so many things, she says, 'This is the dream — to do all of this. Whatever little I learn from other projects, I try to incorporate in my stand-up performances.' She is also the founder of Motormouth Writers, which she aspires to turn into a hub of stories and facilitate development of shows.
On the wishlist of this multi-talented artiste is the desire to create 'a massive multi-season comedy show and act in it too'. Sumukhi Suresh believes she has the ability to pull it off. 'I have been working hard for that moment. Pushpavalli was just the beginning,' she says. That apart, she wants to create a dance-comedy feature. 'I've written it already. At some point, I have to catch Farah Khan and ask her if she would direct it. She will take that script to the next level,' she says.
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