Monika Shergill, VP, content, Netflix India, says the streamer has moved comedy from a series of individual bets to a long-term programming pillar because of how many different audience needs the genre can serve.
“Comedy is deeply personal and subjective. What makes one person laugh may not work for another, so our job is to super-serve audiences with a wide range of voices, formats and sensibilities,” Shergill tells Variety.
Netflix India will expand its comedy offering this season with a slate spanning film, scripted series, stand-up specials and unscripted formats, kicking off with the franchise film “Dhamaal 4” and the family comedy “Chumbak.” The lineup also includes Zakir Khan’s stand-up special “Papa Yaar,” “The Great Indian Kapil Show” Season 5, Bhuvan Bam’s “Dhindora” Season 2 and a new stand-up special from Sumukhi Suresh, who joins Netflix with “Hoemonal.” The slate additionally features more episodes of Samay Raina’s “India’s Got Latent,” including a recently released exclusive episode with Varun Dhawan.
“Chumbak” comes from J.D. Majethia and Aatish Kapadia, the makers of “Khichdi” and “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.” The multi-generational family comedy is set in a Mumbai neighborhood and follows five families whose lives are intertwined by everyday favors, opinions and mishaps. “Papa Yaar” traces how Khan comes to see his father differently over time, moving past the parent-as-authority-figure framing toward a bond built on shared history and mutual understanding.
