For millions of social media users, Dharna Durga is the creator behind some of Instagram's most relatable comedy sketches. Whether she's portraying a typical Indian auntie at kirtan, a wedding guest, a sibling, or a beauty parlour owner, her videos have become instantly recognisable online. But behind the laughter is a story of personal loss and determination. Today, Dharna is earning praise for her performance in Netflix's Maa Behen, but her journey to the screen was far from easy.From Delhi University to discovering a passion for acting: Dharna DurgaDharna's creative journey began while she was studying at Delhi University. Like many students, she explored different extracurricular activities before finding her true interest in theatre.In an earlier interaction with Hindustan Times, Dharna shared that she initially considered joining a dance society but eventually chose theatre because it allowed her to sing, dance and act all at once. It was during those years that she realised acting was something she genuinely loved.However, life took an unexpected turn when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal life and put campus activities on hold.You Might Also Like:A devastating loss during the pandemicSpeaking to SheThePeople, Dharna revealed that the second wave of COVID-19 changed everything for her family. She recalled that her father was the first member of the family to contract the virus. Although the infection eventually spread to everyone at home, the rest of the family recovered. Her father, however, did not survive.The loss left the family emotionally shattered. It also created financial uncertainty because her father had been the primary source of income.Dharna explained that while her sisters were working, they had already moved into different phases of their lives. One was married, while the other was preparing for marriage. Suddenly, the family found itself facing an uncertain future.You Might Also Like:She remembered her mother worrying about how they would move forward. During that difficult period, Dharna decided to step in and help.Taking charge of the family businessFollowing her father's death, Dharna joined the family business and began working alongside her mother. She told SheThePeople that the decision came naturally because the family needed support. Every day, she accompanied her mother to the office and helped manage operations while they navigated the emotional aftermath of their loss.Dharna clarified that her mother was already familiar with the business because both parents had run it together. However, her father had been the face of the enterprise and most clients knew him personally.According to Dharna, some people questioned whether the women in the family would be able to handle the responsibilities after his passing. Over time, however, she and her mother proved they could keep things running.When creating comedy no longer felt easyEven before her father's death, Dharna had begun experimenting with content creation. But after the tragedy, making comedy videos became much harder. She explained that comedy requires a certain emotional state. Since she had always created videos in a fun and spontaneous way, returning to that mindset while grieving felt nearly impossible.For a period, she stopped posting altogether and focused entirely on office work. Yet something felt incomplete. Dharna admitted that although she was committed to helping her family, she felt as though a part of her creative self was missing.Gradually, as she became more comfortable balancing work responsibilities, she started creating content again. After returning home from the office, she would upload one or two videos every week to stay connected to her passion.The viral videos that changed everythingDharna's content soon found an audience. During the pandemic, she began posting character-driven sketches inspired by people she observed in everyday life. Her humour revolved around familiar situations, relatives, weddings, siblings and neighbourhood personalities.One of her earliest breakthroughs came through an "expectation versus reality" wedding dance reel that quickly went viral. The video gained millions of views and received support from influencer Komal Pandey.Dharna has also revealed that content creator Kusha Kapila appreciated her work, giving her further encouragement at an important stage of her career.Her popularity continued to grow as audiences connected with videos such as Every Beauty Parlour Aunty Ever, Every Chemist Shop Visit, Every Mom During Diwali, and Every Sibling Ever. Another major milestone arrived when actress Deepika Padukone also shared one of Dharna's reels on Instagram Stories. The recognition introduced her work to an even wider audience.Winning hearts on NetflixYears after posting reels, Dharna has successfully transitioned from content creator to actor.She is currently being praised for her role in Maa Behen, directed by Suresh Triveni. The Netflix film, which premiered on June 4, features an ensemble cast including Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Ravi Kishan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Arunoday Singh and Dharna Durga.The film has received positive responses from viewers, and many have singled out Dharna's performance as one of its highlights. She is not an overnight star because she was already the queen of content and now she proved with her acting skills as well.