Sumukhi Suresh seems to have run the gamut of responses to her comedy, and each reaction adds a layer to her understanding of humour’s reach. Once, in Bengaluru, an elderly man filed a police complaint against her, calling her comedy “vulgar” and her a “public nuisance.” Equally memorable was a performance in Chennai, where a 70-year-old woman was there on her husband’s death anniversary, dressed in her wedding saree. Instead of mourning, she told Sumukhi she wanted to laugh and be happy, as her husband would have liked . It’s a moment that profoundly moved Sumukhi, and affirmed her belief in the power of her storytelling.

Sumukhi’s latest stand-up show, Hoemonal, is a comedic self-portrait shaped by personal revelations. Through wry, intimate humour, she recounts experiences with singlehood, body image, and navigating her thirties with a curious mixture of fear and defiance. This show, like her other works, is her attempt to “speak without a filter,” offering her audience the parts of herself that many people, especially women, choose to conceal. She tackles these subjects with refreshing irreverence, poking fun at herself and at the expectations thrust upon women, creating a blend of candour and laughter that her audiences find both funny and disarming.

“All my works share a common element: honesty. I tell my stories with honesty and vulnerability. I embarrass myself and make the stories personal. I don’t ask the audience to relate; I simply share my experiences,” she says, “And honesty is essential in stand-up comedy. The more honest I am, the more likely I am to make the audience laugh. If I’m dishonest, the audience will notice.”

Sumukhi Suresh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Tamil at The Fringe

Making a debut at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Hoemonal, Sumukhi experienced firsthand the push-and-pull of performing on an international stage. She admits she had to work to get her unique cultural and comedic sensibilities across. But rather than catering to unfamiliar sensibilities, she held fast to her roots, making references to Indian-specific situations and even weaving Tamil phrases into her material.

“I considered adapting the show [for the Fringe audience] but decided against it. See, I’ve spent years perfecting my act, and I believe it has universal appeal. The story I tell is more important than the references I use. If you understand my story and message, that’s a win. Judging me solely on references means you’re not paying attention. I come from a land rich in cultural references. So, I kept breaking into Tamil often. So, they were like, ‘Wait. What is this now?’ But the Tamilians in the crowd were really happy. They were like, ‘Thank you so much for the representation.’,” she laughs. 

She gained a fresh perspective watching the diverse crowds — Japanese, Dutch, and American — react to her material (she even made them do hook steps of ‘Kajra Re’), gaining a global view of humour’s power and limits.

Sumukhi Suresh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Breaking taboos

Sumukhi’s comedy is especially noteworthy because she foregrounds women’s health and societal attitudes towards it. Diagnosed with PCOS and prediabetes, she openly addresses the frustrations of managing chronic conditions in a world that often turns a blind eye to the realities of women’s health. In Hoemonal, she recounts her regular visits to her gynecologist, relaying them with such vividness that audiences feel as though they’re in the examination room alongside her. Her take on medical visits highlights how society places motherhood as a central expectation in women’s health, ignoring other significant issues. She tackles this discomfort with humour that resonates deeply, finding strength in vulnerability.

The content of Hoemonal is deeply personal, sometimes raw, and decidedly fearless. Sumukhi jokes about mortality and her own timeline for life, laughing as she talks about her “plan” to die by age 65, partially due to family history but also a conscious choice to live free of extended worries. “I want people to have positive conversations about death rather than focusing on the sadness. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me when I die,” she says. This perspective also helped her deal with issues of body image.

She says that much of her resilience came not from her career but from her childhood experiences of what she calls “fat-girl bullying,” which taught her to deflect, dodge, and ultimately ignore. However, she admits that the digital space demands a thicker skin. “I am 36. But it feels like I’ve been bullied for 37 years. I wasn’t seen as a person, just a target. But I’ve learned from this experience. While I’m not completely healed, I know this feeling will pass,” she says.

But what draws audiences to Sumukhi is this blend of humour and self-reflection. Her approach to storytelling invites the audience not only to laugh but to explore their own perspectives. Her candour about the struggles of a modern woman — health, ageing, singlehood, and all — is what makes her material hit close to home for so many.

Hoemonal will be performed in Bengaluru at Good Shepherd Auditorium on November 17 and Mumbai on December 6 at Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir