The queen of sketch comedy

Sumukhi Suresh, the queen of sketch comedy is indeed a person with a heart that is jovial and not to forget a food lover too.

A food inspector and of course a chef who has then turned her profession to become a standup comedian, is surely making people laugh out loud with her expressive style and earthy comedy. On 'National Tell a Joke' day, she shares her comic journey in a freewheeling chat.

Tell us about how you started your journey as a comic star?

I started to do comedy because I did not have a better hobby in the evenings. I don't drink and smoke because I am pretty basic in that way. I wanted to join theatre, but I reached out to this group called 'Improv' which I thought was about a play, but it turned out to be a comedy show.

I auditioned for them, they liked me and then I had few shows. They then they hired me that is how I started comedy. Then I did sketch comedy with Richa Kapoor, who no longer does comedy.

I have done the same with Naveen Richard, then I started doing videos and slowly graduated to standup comedy. I am a food lover I had a bakery, there was too much happening and then I quit my food lab job, got out of my bakery and moved to Mumbai.

Do you miss your food lab?

Yes! Every day, in fact one of my colleague from the laboratory days came to my show and then we were hanging out whole evening, the next day I get a call asking if I would want to join back.

I was so upset that I wanted to go back to the same job, but I couldn't. I love food safety and if comedy doesn't work for me, I am running back to food safety.

What does comedy mean to you?

Comedy is an outlet for me, and I have the most amount of fun. It is an opportunity where I am actually making money for what I am doing.

I do things with the intention of winning; whatever I do I really have to be good at it. For me, I just want to be the best version of myself in comedy.

How does it feel to be one among the few women in standup comedy?

I think there is enough number of women who are doing open mic's now, and I don't think we are the only ones. The reason why it doesn't really look like they are not many is because they are lot of women who aren't online, which hopefully changes in the next one or two years. For me it is not a huge thing to be a man or a woman in comedy.

I understand the tag of a woman comic, because it will be wrong of me to assume that it is not needed as they are lot of people who will look up to that tag, but internally all of us do not like that tag because - then it will be like we will be giving our best in terms of gender, and will be defined as best female comic.

We would rather be referred as I want to be the best comic. Until more women come forward let the tag be there, but some day it has to go away.

Tell us a little about sketch comedy

I like sketch comedy, which is what I mentor om, it is a small vignette which is a play that has beginning, middle and end. It can last for two minutes to eight minutes.

The whole thing about live sketch comedy is about the two people on stage and the whole conversation and scene has to be with them. For me sketch comedy is about well written sketch and also about performing the sketch very well.

How was it to mentor all the 10 comedians at 'Comicstaan season 2'?

Until I did my mentoring session, I was happy, but the moment I got into the session, I became like the mom who is very protective about their kids.

I was like if you shame them, then I will shame you. Also, the people in the show are not natural actors, so it was nice to see them break out of their mould and do something new and exciting and I am so glad that they were so giving and open to feedback.

On the occasion of 'National Tell a Joke Day', can you tell us a joke?

I am going to send my IFSC code, ask people to transfer the money and then I will tell them a joke.

How do you see comedy 10 years down the line from now?

There is more number of people who are going to come into comedy; it is now going to be the matter of quality than quantity. 10 years down the line it is just going to be people who are making the best content, which is happening.

You have done a lot of shows in Hyderabad. How do you like the audience here?

I did 'Don't tell Amma' special in Hyderabad for the first time and it was a fabulous show, a lot of women aren't touring right now with our special shows, but it was so nice to see so many people at the show.

It was a sold-out show and the audience were like 70 percent women which I loved, and it is a huge thing. Hyderabad has been beautiful for me because every time I perform, I had a great show.