I'm sufficiently overconfident & mostly UNDERCONFIDENT

UMUKHI Suresh never planned to be a comedian – it just happened.

- DARSHITA JAIN

UMUKHI Suresh never planned to be a comedian – it just happened. From mistaking an improv audition for a play to presenting several shows across the country, her journey has been a mix of guts, humour, and a little bit of chaos. The comedian, who was formerly based in Bengaluru, speaks with CE about comedy, food, challenges, and why she's perfectly fine with dying alone – on her terms.

Excerpts:

How did you start your comedy journey?

It all happened by chance. I was working in a food laboratory and wanted to do something in the evenings. Since I had done theatre in Chennai while studying, I thought I'd get back into it. I went for what I thought was a play audition, but it turned out to be an improv show. I just went with it. Over time, I got into sketch comedy and met comedians like Kenny Sebastian and Naveen Richard, and one day, I thought – let's give this a full try. And that was it.

Is there a weird or funny pre-stage ritual you do before your shows?