Manasi Parekh on 'Chumbak': Playing a non-stop talker left me exhausted
Synopsis
National Award-winning actress Manasi Parekh says her role in Netflix's 'Chumbak' — a woman who simply never stops talking — was exhausting to portray, but credits the writer-director's meticulous scripting for making the performance feel intuitive rather than overwhelming.
Key Takeaways
Manasi Parekh stars in the newly released Netflix series 'Chumbak' as a relentlessly talkative character.
She described the role as 'very different' from her real personality and said it took considerable energy to sustain.
Parekh praised her on-screen chemistry with Sumeet Vyas , who plays her husband — a sharp contrast as a man of very few words.
She credited the show's writer-director, referring to him as 'Atish bhai', calling him 'a genius' whose precise scripting made the performance easier to deliver.
The ensemble cast also includes Sumeet Raghavan , Sandeepa Dhar , Deven Bhojani , and Neena Gupta .
National Award-winning actress Manasi Parekh has opened up about the demanding nature of her role in the newly released Netflix series 'Chumbak', describing how embodying a character who talks incessantly drained her energy — and why the writing made it all worthwhile.
The Character and What Made Her Unique
Speaking at promotional events held in the BKC area of Mumbai, Parekh said her character in the show is defined by relentless chatter. 'My character in the show speaks a lot. There are people like that in real life who don't stop once they start speaking, and they don't give other people a chance to speak. The character is very different from me as a person,' she said.
She expressed particular fondness for her on-screen dynamic with actor Sumeet Vyas, who plays her husband. 'What I really liked about the show is my character's equation with her husband, played by Sumeet Vyas, because she speaks so much, and then there's her husband who just says everything he has to in one line,' Parekh noted, adding warmly, 'I was so excited to work with all of them. And of course, Sumit, I love you as a co-actor.'
The Energy It Took
When asked whether the verbosity of the character was physically and mentally taxing, Parekh acknowledged it was. 'It did take a lot of energy. But that's the thing. Atish bhai is the source of our energy. He's a genius,' she said, referring to the show's writer-director.
She elaborated on how strong writing eased the burden on the cast. 'I think all of us are so lucky that we are with a writer-director who is such a great maker, that he has already kept our characters on paper so well, that it becomes very easy for an actor to bring it to life,' she said. 'Otherwise, sometimes what happens is, if the character is not written very well, then the actor also gets a lot of pressure. But here, everything is so clear that you literally just have to follow it.'
The Ensemble and the Show
The promotional event also featured cast members Sumeet Raghavan, Sandeepa Dhar, Deven Bhojani, and veteran actress Neena Gupta. The multi-starrer ensemble cast is widely seen as one of the show's key draws, with each character reportedly offering a contrasting personality that drives the narrative's comedic and emotional beats.
'Chumbak' is currently streaming on Netflix. With the show's release generating early buzz around its tightly written characters, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to Parekh's chatty, high-energy turn on the platform.
Point of View
High-energy roles demand as much stamina as dramatic ones — yet they rarely get that acknowledgement in awards conversations. Her praise for the writing points to a broader truth about Indian streaming: when character work is done on the page, performance becomes execution rather than improvisation. 'Chumbak' enters a crowded Netflix India slate, and whether a well-written ensemble comedy can cut through in an algorithm-driven discovery environment remains the real test.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Chumbak' and where can it be watched?
'Chumbak' is a recently released Indian streaming series available on Netflix. It features an ensemble cast including Manasi Parekh, Sumeet Vyas, Neena Gupta, Sumeet Raghavan, Sandeepa Dhar, and Deven Bhojani.
What did Manasi Parekh say about her character in 'Chumbak'?
Manasi Parekh described her character as someone who talks non-stop and rarely gives others a chance to speak — a trait she said is 'very different' from her real personality. She found the role exhausting but said strong writing by the director made it easier to perform.
Who plays Manasi Parekh's husband in 'Chumbak'?
Actor Sumeet Vyas plays her husband in the show. Parekh highlighted the comedic contrast between her verbose character and his, who reportedly conveys everything in just one line.
Who is the writer-director of 'Chumbak'?
Parekh referred to the director as 'Atish bhai' and called him 'a genius', crediting him for writing characters so precisely that actors could simply follow the script rather than improvise their way through underdeveloped roles.
