Actress Sandeepa Dhar, who ventured into uncharted territory with the recently released Netflix series Chumbak, has opened up about why stepping into comedy was initially one of the most daunting challenges of her career. The OTT drama, created by the acclaimed duo of Aatish Kapadia and JD Majethia, is currently trending at number one on Netflix in India.

Why comedy felt 'scary' for Sandeepa

Known primarily for dramatic and emotionally intense roles, Sandeepa admitted that delivering humour on screen requires a different skill set altogether. 'Actually, I am very scared of comedy because it's one of the toughest things to do. I have experience doing dramatic and emotional scenes,' she said in an interview.

The actress, however, credited the creative vision of Kapadia and Majethia — a partnership that has produced some of Indian television and streaming's most beloved comedies — for giving her the confidence to take the plunge.

The Kapadia–Majethia factor

Sandeepa explained that the writing and world-building by the duo made Chumbak the ideal launchpad for her comedy debut. 'I think there couldn't have been a better time to try comedy, because the combination of JD and Aatish and the kind of world they create, the kind of characters they write, I think there couldn't have been a funnier show to make a debut in,' she noted.

She added that Netflix backing the project and giving it a worldwide release amplified the opportunity. 'Today we are trending on Netflix at number one. So I think it was a good decision,' she said.

Amyra Dastur nearly missed the role

Co-star Amyra Dastur, who plays a Parsi character in the ensemble cast, revealed a behind-the-scenes twist — she almost lost the part because her former manager never forwarded the audition call.

'My former manager didn't tell me about this audition. Then I got to know that the casting process is underway for this part, and being a Parsi, I felt that I would be the perfect fit,' Amyra recalled. She said she directly messaged casting director Jogi, who informed her that his team had already reached out but was told she was not interested.

'I was like, "Oh no, I'll come and audition." And yeah, I auditioned for him, luckily it worked out and even the makers told me that he thought I wasn't interested in the project,' she added.

What Chumbak's success signals for OTT comedy

The show's immediate climb to the top of Netflix India's trending list underscores the growing appetite for well-crafted comedies on streaming platforms. Notably, Kapadia and Majethia built their reputation through long-running television comedies like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi, making their transition to OTT a closely watched move. Chumbak's early traction suggests that audiences are rewarding character-driven humour over formulaic laugh-track fare — a trend that could shape commissioning decisions across Indian streaming services in the months ahead.