For years, actress Helly Shah has been associated with emotionally intense roles on Indian television. But with Chumbak, she found herself in unfamiliar territory, playing Twinkle Oberoi, an impulsive, outspoken and thoroughly unpredictable character who is as different from her own personality as she is from the roles audiences have seen her play. The Netflix comedy, created by Aatish Kapadia and JD Majethia, also brought her back to familiar ground, as she began her career with the duo nearly 14 years ago.
The transition comes after a three-year break that gave Helly time to step away from the relentless pace of work and figure out what she wanted from life beyond acting. Her return through Gullak marked a new chapter in her career, allowing audiences to see her in a different light. With Chumbak, she has taken that exploration further, embracing the unpredictability of comedy and the challenge of making an eccentric character feel believable.
In this conversation with Filmfare, Helly talks about finding her rhythm in comedy, the freedom of playing someone without a filter, and the experience of growing up in front of an audience. Excerpts:
You have played many intense characters. How did it feel to suddenly be the goofy one in Chumbak?
Getting an opportunity to play a character like Twinkle, who is extremely silly, impulsive and doesn’t think much, was fun. Twinkle has no filter, so I didn’t have to constantly think about being subtle or restrained. The character is very different from me, so it was challenging as well. But at the same time, it was liberating. I could let go of so many inhibitions and have fun with her.
What made you say yes to this role?
There was no reason for me to say no. It was a Netflix show, it had actors I grew up watching, and it was being made by JD Majethia and Aatish sir. It was almost like coming home because I started my career with them about 14 years ago. I don’t think it could have been any better. My character is so bizarre yet so innocent that I immediately wanted to find out how far I could challenge myself as an actor and make her as human as possible without making her irritating.
The show has been compared to shows such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi because of Aatish and JD. Does that comparison excite you or make you nervous?
It excites me because these are iconic shows and they have such a special place in people’s hearts. But at the same time, I want people to understand that Chumbak has its own world and its own madness. I don’t want them to compare it with Sarabhai vs Sarabhai or Khichdi. It’s nice, and I’m happy when people draw these comparisons because of the creators. But I hope that when they watch it, they see Chumbak for what it is because the worlds are different.
Was there any scene that was the most difficult to pull off?
When we started shooting, the first couple of days were very difficult for me. It was stressful because I was trying to get the rhythm right, and in comedy, if you don’t get the rhythm right, the jokes won’t land.
I was constantly in that stressful mode and wondering whether I was on the right track. But slowly, we got everything right. There were a couple of scenes that were difficult to pull off, especially the one in which Twinkle’s pet cobra, Lingvine, dies. It was difficult for me to control my laughter because the scene is crazy. Making it feel genuine rather than like a gimmick was also difficult because you actually have to make people believe that this is their world and that this is really happening.
You started acting when you were very young. Do you think becoming famous so young made you grow up faster?
Definitely. When you start working young and are exposed to different situations, you learn about life very early. You learn about responsibility, work, rejection and people in general. At the same time, there are parts of growing up that you somehow miss because you are working. There are pros and cons to everything. I feel I grew up faster in some ways, but in others, I was still figuring myself out much later.
You took a three-year break when you were already established. Why did you feel you needed to disappear?
I needed to pause and actually understand what I wanted in life and who I was as a person. I had been working for almost ten years nonstop. I was almost running on autopilot. Sometimes, you get so caught up in the momentum that you don’t stop to ask yourself whether you are actually happy and what you want to do next.
Creatively, I reached a saturation point and felt stuck. It was important for me to step back so that I could return with a clear head. In no way was I running away from acting; I just wanted some space and time for myself.
What did that period teach you about yourself?
I did hit a very low phase in my life during those years. When you have been working for a long time and then suddenly stop, you somehow start feeling a certain sense of emptiness in your life. You feel that something is missing. But I knew I had to take that step. Taking a break was essential for my well-being. I travelled a lot during that time, and it really shaped my personality. Travel also makes you realise that there is so much more beyond your own bubble. I became more comfortable with my own company, and I learned to enjoy life outside work. My life had been centred entirely around my work.
Do you still get offered the same kind of roles because of your television image?
Sometimes, yes, because once you’ve been associated with a certain image for so many years, people naturally tend to imagine you in similar roles. But that’s changing because the work I’ve done recently has allowed people to see a different side of me, be it in Gullak or Chumbak. Twinkle from Chumbak is a great example. I don’t think people ever imagined me playing a character like this. Everybody is pleasantly surprised and says they didn’t know I could pull off a character like that. I also did another show called Ishqa Ishqa, in which I played a challenging character and showed a different side of myself as an actor.
Also Read: Chumbak Series Review: Old Wine, New Bottle
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
