We caught up with Sumukhi Suresh, Indian actor-comedian who is all set to cause a laughter riot with her new Amazon Prime special 'Don't Tell Amma.' Check out her complete interview here.
An actor, writer and director Sumukhi Suresh is all set to get into a new phase of her life with her new stand up special on Amazon Prime Video's called 'Don't Tell Amma.' She is popular for her comedy sketches and her characters from videos that went viral on Youtube. A graduate from M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai, comedy just happened to her and she has been doing quite well since.
We got into a candid chat with the comedian over her new stand-up special, Don't Tell Amma and here is what she had to say...
How excited are you for Don't Tell Amma and can you give us a gist of what it's about?
"I am extremely excited because this is my first one-hour and since there is so much stand-up online I hope people are not super harsh to it. Hope people enjoy the story that I have to tell."
What is the one thing about Don't Tell Amma that people will love the most?
"I have realised that who I am. Imagine for an hour you having dinner and at the dinner table, I am there with you so while you are eating I am giving you all the stories. That’s what you should expect from Don’t Tell Amma. It will be a dinner-time fun conversation where I am going to sometimes yell and then sometimes go quiet. I also love playing characters because I can’t stop doing that. I know it’s gonna be fun, exciting, it’s going to be like one of those where people go, "This is how she sounds when she is not doing acting or she is not doing sketching". So, I am very I am hoping that image is something that people like."
You've also done several shows with The Improv, how did that collaboration come to be?
"Oh, The Improv was very random because I was going on an art break. Then I thought I will start doing theatre and because I did theatre in Chennai, I assumed, The Improv was a theatre group. So, then I went and auditioned and they gave me one word saying you make up a scene on the spot. In my head, I was a bit thrown as there were no dialogues and I had to come up with it as I go. It was after my audition, that they told me it's a comedy show and that's how I started doing improv with them. Then I see improv is the basis for everything I do. Even in Don’t Tell Amma I am that comic who performs first and then comes and writes. Like people usually write their jokes and then go perform. I am very comfortable with a performance so I perform first and then write."
So how did you convince your Amma that you are a comedian and that you're choosing comedy as a career?
"My Amma is still not convinced. My Amma right now is in that state where she knows that I have a boyfriend but she doesn’t want to address it. Stand up comedy is my boyfriend and my mother doesn’t want to address it"
What was her reaction when you first told her about doing comedy?
"Honestly I never made a declaration to my mother about it. I was already doing it and my mother just found out. My mother and me we don't have the relationship of a usual mother and daughter, it’s a very transactional relationship. Both of us are warriors, so, right now we could start fighting at any time. You never know."
You character in the Amazon series, 'Pushpavalli' also had to lie to get close to her crush. So, what do you think is more difficult lying to your Amma or lying to a boy you love?
"That is a very good question I have never been asked. I mean, I've been lying to my mom. I feel like lying to your mom is a little bit more difficult because the stakes are higher. I'll feel guilty if I lie to my mom but if it's a boy I'll be like chuck it. Bol dia toh bol dia."
You're an inspiration to many but who inspired you to get into comedy?
"It actually just happened. I told you how The Improv happened, I didn't even know comedy was a thing and that people become comedians. I ended up doing it and then I ended up meeting other comics so then I started doing sketches. I started doing stand up because I wanted to try it and then videos happened eventually. When it comes to inspiration for work, I come with the same work ethics as my mother. I am very fascinated by her because when my mom starts something she has to finish it otherwise she cannot stop until it’s done. My mom is a major hustler that’s why I also hustle a lot. So for me, the reason why I am doing comedy is that I like hustling and I want to do as well as I can if not the best. That is one and of course, the second reason is that she is quite an inspiration but she has never stopped. She is so pretty and he looks like a 24-year-old girl who is out to just chase her dream. That’s a very fascinating, man, I find it very interesting."
How do you react when someone refers to you as a 'female comedian' and not just 'comedian'?
"I am not comfortable with the tag 'female comedian'. I mean, I have told this multiple times that I don’t think we should be called 'female comedians'. I should be called a comedian because by calling someone a ''female comedian' you are subconsciously saying that you're best among women only. Like if I am a comedian there are chances of me competing with other comics who are male or of other genders. But if it is just between a female comedian in the bracket I will never aspire to be the best in my field. I will be sub-titled as the best in my gender. That’s one but having said that I understand why the tag is there because it’s the bigger picture that if a woman does well in the field, there’ll be more people who will come forward and do comedy. There’ll be more girls who try open mic and if that change is happening because of the 'female comedian' tag, then I am okay. I’ll take it I will be like, one it is the bigger picture where more people will do stand up but selfishly, I am not comfortable I am a comedian, that's it."
Which projects are you working on after, 'Don't Tell Amma'?
"I don’t know if you know this but 'Don’t Tell Amma' releases on 20th December. One of my very special web shows which I've already done and I would not name it will hopefully be out in the first quarter of 2020. Apart from this, I am developing three new shows. So, currently, I am writing three shows while I am waiting for my shows to release in the first quarter of 2020."
We're sure Amazon Prime Video's Special, Don't Tell Amma, featuring Sumukhi is going to be a laughter riot!
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