Comedian Sumukhi Suresh was just coming out of a long-term relationship when she got the idea for Hoemonal, her new Netflix special, which she describes as a "chick flick" about a conservatively raised woman.A multi-hyphenate artiste, Suresh is known as a writer, comedian and actor who switches easily between her different identities. The special, she said, is about women like her who are earning money and now feel "guilty about spending it"."I think Hoemonal on Netflix is a proper comfort chick flick/rom-com that you will watch and keep watching.

It's about a conservatively raised girl because I was raised very conservatively. I was with someone for a really long time.

And then that ended."And suddenly I was like, 'Oh, I have to start dating.' And I have never experienced those things. So, it is a conservatively raised girl failing to be a hoe while managing her hormones," Suresh told PTI in an interview.

In the over-one-hour-long show, the comedian talks about breakups, spectacularly failing to figure out dating apps, female friendships and how she was raised to be a "sindoor chaser".Suresh said that when she was asked about the target audience for the special, she said "25 and above", but those in their 20s were also welcome. "I think my 20s were very avoidable. I actually started enjoying life at 30.

I feel like most women are living their 20s in their 30s. The earlier idea was that you study, graduate, have a job and then, any minute, you will find someone or you will be partnered up.

And then a good chunk went, 'Maybe I don't want to.' And then you start building your life... So, I feel like I was a teenager, then I came directly to my 30s," Suresh said.The comedian, who wrote and starred in the popular two-season comedy-drama series Pushpavalli, which premiered in 2017, said she loves the energy of live performances."I have too much fun on stage.

The dissipation of my energy into the audience is my favourite thing to do. With Hoemonal, every audience has been genuinely beautiful...

Usually, specials are done within a specific time frame, but I was like, 'I will take as much time as I want.' I think this show became what it was in 2023-24, when I got my producer, Kim Sharma, on board," Suresh said.The comedian said Sharma built the show into a business IP, taking it from a 1,000-seater venue to selling 5,000 tickets for a performance in Bengaluru."And these things, as much as they may seem like they are not important, are a boost for a comedian and artiste. It almost gives you a sense of responsibility.

Now, every time you go on stage, you have to perform properly for it to continue. So, it's been a fun journey."The show, she said, evolved through her stage performances, as it was not built around specific punchlines."I don't really write...

I do stand-up, where I perform again and again until it becomes the piece it is. So, basically, it's the reverse process of putting it together.

First, you have to throw yourself into the deep end. I made the mistake of trying to write my last special and then realised, 'No, I'm someone who loves performing.' So, I found the show in its performance," she explained."Hoemonal has laughter, romance, happiness, sadness and tears.

It is a roller coaster of those emotions. So, at any point, if I give you a joke, you will snap out of it.

It needs to seem like your best friend or sister is standing in front of you and having a meltdown, and you're like, 'This girl is crazy.' So, you have to give the story of what happened."Similarly, her show Pushpavalli was born out of her love for fiction and writing."For me, to think that I'm doing something unique as a female comedian, I needed to know what the industry was. And I never did.

I was working for a food safety lab. When I entered this, I didn't even know whether this space was male-friendly or female-friendly."All I wanted was to act in a show.

And they were like, 'Hey, you can't be a lead.' I'm like, 'Oh, but why?' They're like, 'No one writes for someone with my body frame.' I was like, 'What's body frame? Cast me anywhere.' So, they were like, 'You write a show.' I said, 'Okay, then I'll write a show.' I didn't have time to understand the uniqueness of the situation," she said.Pushpavalli, about a woman who falls for a man during a chance encounter, mistakes his kindness for love and starts stalking him, was written by Suresh along with Ayesha Nair and Naveen Richard.

The series was a success and opened doors to further acting and writing opportunities for her.Since Pushpavalli, Suresh has worked with writer-director Vikramaditya Motwane on CTRL and is collaborating with filmmaker Tushar Hiranandani and producer Rhea Kapoor on different projects. She has also acted in The Royals and Vir Das' Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos.She is currently shooting for Ekta Kapoor-produced Ragini MMS 3, which features Tamannaah Bhatia and Nargis Fakhri.- Ends