Sumukhi Suresh recalls moving to Mumbai with Rs 50,000: ‘Thought I’ll survive for 3-4 months’

Actor-comedian Sumukhi Suresh, who is currently enjoying the success of her stand-up special Hoemonal on Netflix, comes from a middle-class, conservative family in Nagpur. After living the corporate life for over 10 years, it was a difficult decision for her to listen to her heart to become a comedian. In a recent interview with us, the comedian opened up about her early career struggles, past relationship, and her latest show.

During the candid chat, Sumukhi Suresh recalled coming to Mumbai with only Rs 50,000. “I’ve had a struggle like anyone else. Cash was always a struggle, because I was also delusional. When I came to Mumbai, I only had Rs 50,000 in my account. I thought that I would survive in that amount for 3-4 months. That was ridiculous, because one can spend this amount within a week here. Money was a huge driving factor, and so was survival,” she shared.

The actor-comedian further added, “I have no understanding of consequences. I had a corporate life for 10 years. Something felt very non-fulfilling, so I started doing improv, stand-up, and sketches. But it was getting too much and I wanted to give comedy a try, so I moved to Bombay. So, the consequences are being understood now. I think and realise that I took a big step.”

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When asked about the story behind the interesting title of her stand-up special ‘Hoemonal’, she replied, “It’s just me failing to be a hoe. I was raised conservatively, and dating is not a part of our ethos. I dated someone for ten years, and I am someone who was ready to get married. To force myself to understand that I need to leave this person and start a life of my own, it was all not part of something I was taught.”

Therefore, if she had a chance to give an advice to her 20-year-old self today, it would be to “have fun and not indulge too much into a single person.”

“I am being so weirdly selfish. I wouldn’t actually tell her to not date the boy I dated, but I would also tell her to date him and some other boys as well. I was too swaami, thinking that he will only be my husband, and I won’t look at any other man. That was very limiting of me. I wish I had more fun. Maybe, I would have told her to have fun and chill a little bit.”

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In her stand-up show, Sumukhi Suresh also joked about judgemental relatives and neighbours. Having said that, she stopped talking to her relatives years ago. “I am very tonally different. My relatives are polar opposite to me. When I started working as a comedian after leaving my job, that’s when I stopped speaking to them. I don’t go to weddings, I don’t even know my cousins’ faces, and I would like to keep it like that. I don’t understand people who have cousins like friends. I only accept taunts from or listen to my mother,” she expressed.