"A feel-good story that reminds us of the '90s...": Sandeepa Dhar on Chumbak

I feel like a feel-good story that reminds us of the '90s, early '90s, and 2000s... Like, I grew up in Bangalore, and the environment there used to be just like this. Youd eat meals with all your neighbours, spend time at their houses, drop by anytime without having to call beforehand to announce your arrival, she told ANI.

From Hats Off Production, the creators of beloved cult comedies Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi, 'Chumbak' is written and directed by Aatish Kapadia and produced by Jamnadas (JD) Majethia and Aatish Kapadia.

"I feel like that nostalgia was missing from the OTT space right now. And through this combination of Netflix and JD-Aatish, we are bringing this entire nostalgia to the whole world, and I think thats the best part, Sandeepa added.

Dhar, who is seen as air hostess Kiran Kejriwal in Netflix's Chumbak, said she was drawn to the character for being funny, but also real and described her as the anchor who brings a sense of normalcy to the show's chaotic world.

Sandeepa spoke about playing a fun and vibrant character, the show's nostalgic take on family and friendship, her experience on the sets and her wish to explore the action genre.

Describing Kiran, Sandeepa said the character is the anchor of the show, bringing a sense of normalcy to an otherwise chaotic world.

Kiran Kejriwal is an air hostess who works at 32,000 feet high up in the air, keeping more than 200 passengers calm. But as soon as she reaches home, I think she has an even more turbulent life. So, I feel like she is kind of the anchor in the show, she said.

Set in a contemporary urban Indian neighbourhood, the series follows five families whose lives are so intertwined that neighbours become less like people next door and more like permanent parivaar (family), and a small problem in one home can quickly become a full-blown colony matter, read a press note.

Sandeepa said what attracted her to Kiran was the fact that the character was humorous without becoming exaggerated or caricaturish.

She doesn't have punchlines, but she is what makes everything seem more normal. And I wanted a character that was funny, but also real, not completely caricaturish, farcical, or over-the-top, she said.

In Chumbak, I felt like Kiran was that one character who was quite real. In this chaotic environment where everyone in the whole show is crazy, she normalises everything while dealing with all those crazy people, that is what I really, really enjoyed in the show, she added.

Talking about the overall tone of the series, Sandeepa described Chumbak as a mad comedy filled with quirky characters and one-liners, but said that beneath the humour lies a story about family, warmth and friendship.

Chumbak is a mad comedy with quirky characters and fantastic one-liners. But at the heart of the show, it's about family, warmth, and friendship, she said.

On how closely Kiran resembles her own personality, Sandeepa said there are only a few similarities between the two.

The only similarity between Kiran and me is the fact that both of us remain calm in stressful situations. I think both of us have that in common, but apart from that, everything else is very different, she said.

Kiran's life in the show becomes even more unconventional because her husband is an actor who frequently performs female characters and remains in female get-ups.

Kirans husband is an actor who always plays female characters and stays in female get-ups. When she goes to sleep and wakes up in the morning, beside her, he is sometimes sleeping dressed as a witch, sometimes as a Lavani queen. So I think these are very crazy concepts in a way, Sandeepa said.

For the actress, taking on such an unusual role is part of the appeal of being an actor.

I think thats the job, right? As an actor, you get to try different characters and different genres. Thats why we become actorsso we don't do just one type of role, and we get to explore ourselves, she said.

While Sandeepa said she does not believe in limiting herself to one genre, she revealed that action is one space she is keen to explore.

I really love a good story and a good character. I dont believe in genres as much as I believe in the story. But I feel like one thing I want to explore, which I havent had the chance to yet, is action. I really, really want to do an action film, she said.

When asked whether an action project was currently in the works, Sandeepa said she is still waiting for the right opportunity.

No, not yet. Nothing related to action has come into my life yet, but hopefully Im manifesting it. Maybe someone watching this interview will hear this and my message will reach them. So I hope if anyone is listening, please cast me in an action film! she said.

Sandeepa also recalled the fun atmosphere on the sets of Chumbak, revealing that food became one of the biggest bonding factors for the cast and crew.

On set, every single day, there were at least 10 things happening that made us laugh until we couldn't stop. But I think one memory that will always stay with me was the food on set, she said.

With several members of the team being Gujarati, Sandeepa said the cast frequently enjoyed homemade Gujarati food.

There was so much food that we had to be careful not to overeat, otherwise our waist size in Episode 1 would be completely different by Episode 16! But it was amazing food, she said.

She added that creator Aatish, as well as cast members Mansi and Deven Bhojani, contributed to the food-filled atmosphere on set.

Aatish is a huge foodie; he would bring tons of food for everyone. Mansi, who is our cast member, would also bring incredible Gujarati food from her home. And Deven Bhojani would also bring great food. So we bonded a lot over food, she said.

When I look at my BTS videos, they are almost entirely just videos of us eating! That really bonded us a lot, food bonded us a lot. And everyone in the cast is so grounded; they are all very secure actors and an amazing ensemble, she added.

Among her favourite memories was shooting a hospital sequence in the fourth episode, which she said was particularly difficult because the cast could not stop laughing.

Im actually looking forward to watching that scene the most. I haven't watched the show myself yet, but I want to see if viewers can catch our laughter on screen or not! she added.

Sandeepa also spoke about the changing landscape for female actors with the rise of OTT platforms, saying women are now getting more layered and diverse roles in the digital space.

Absolutely. I think female characters are much better written in the OTT space. In films, Im not sure how much has changed, but in OTT, there is definitely a big change. OTT is quite female-driven in a way, she said.

So it's great because we get the opportunity to explore and play different characters, so its good, she added.

The series stars Neena Gupta, Deven Bhojani, Sumeet Raghvan, Sandeepa Dhar, Arjun Bijlani, Helly Shah, Sumeet Vyas, Manasi Parekh, Delnaaz Irani, Anant V. Joshi, Amyra Dastur and Atul Kumar.

The show is streaming on Netflix. (ANI)