Mumbai: Delnaaz Irani has played several memorable comic characters throughout her career, but her role as Gulshan Taraporewala in the Netflix comedy series Chumbak presented her with a very different challenge. As part of the Taraporewala household in Chumbak Colony, Delnaaz plays a traditional Parsi woman whose strong personality and unique equation with her son and daughter-in-law become an important part of the show’s humour.
Interestingly, Delnaaz reveals that she had consciously stayed away from playing Parsi characters for several years because she did not want to portray the community in a stereotypical or caricatured manner. “Yes, I have played a lot of iconic comic roles in the past, but this character is obviously very different. In fact, I had consciously said no to playing Parsi characters for the longest time. Throughout my career, I think I have played only one Parsi role, which was in Batliwala House No. 43, another show by JD and Aatish, way back in 2004-2005,” says Delnaaz.
The actress explains that one of her biggest concerns was how Parsi characters are often represented on screen, with exaggerated accents, mannerisms and costumes. With Chumbak, however, she felt that the Taraporewala family was being presented in a much more natural way. “After so many years, I am playing a Parsi character again because I feel that whenever the Parsi community is portrayed in the industry, it often becomes a little caricature-ish. The characters are made to speak in a particular way, their outfits and mannerisms are exaggerated, and I don’t think that always feels natural,” she shares.
According to Delnaaz, the Taraporewalas are portrayed as a family that audiences can genuinely identify with, rather than as exaggerated comic stereotypes. “Batliwala House No. 43 was based on the Parsi community, with the entire story and setting revolving around Parsi culture. Similarly, Chumbak features five different families, and the Taraporewalas are genuinely portrayed as the kind of Parsis you would see living in Parsi colonies. I didn’t want to play a caricature for the longest time, which is why this role felt like something I wanted to explore after so many years,” she says.
The character also gave Delnaaz an opportunity to challenge herself as an actor. While comedy is something she is comfortable with, becoming Gulshan required extensive preparation, particularly because the character is considerably older than her real age. “I wanted to challenge myself as an actor and say, ‘Okay, Delnaaz, go ahead and do this. Let’s see if you can actually play a typical Parsi character.’ It was a completely different experience for me, and of course, working with JD and Aatish also drew me towards the role, the character and the entire premise,” Delnaaz says.
She adds, “This character was different in many ways because it required a lot of homework from my side before going on set. Comedy usually comes very easily to me, but this role required a lot of preparation, especially when it came to my mannerisms, the way I spoke Hindi, my dressing style, makeup and hair. Everything was very different from the other roles I have played.”
One of the biggest challenges was stepping into the physical and emotional space of a woman who is almost 60 and has a son in his 30s. “The biggest difference was that I was playing a woman much older than my actual age, someone who is almost 60 and is the mother of a boy who is around 30-35. I had no inhibitions about looking or presenting myself differently, but getting into that entire mould and becoming the character was definitely a challenge,” she says.
Talking about Gulshan’s place within the Taraporewala family, Delnaaz describes her as an extremely protective and possessive mother whose relationship with her son creates plenty of chaos in the household. “Chumbak Colony is essentially a story about five different families:The Merchants,The Kejriwals,The Oberois,The Khannas and The Taraporewalas. The Taraporewalas are a traditional Parsi family, and I play Gulshan Taraporewala, a very overbearing, overprotective and possessive mother,” she explains.
Gulshan shares a very close bond with her son, who has always been the centre of her world, and that equation becomes complicated once his wife enters the picture. “She shares a typical mother-son bond with her son, where he is extremely special to her, and she has always been deeply attached to him.Their relationship is extremely close, and she does everything for him. For her, the daughter-in-law is almost like an outsider who has simply entered the house, which creates utter madness within the household,” Delnaaz says.
She describes the dynamic as almost a love triangle between a mother, her son and his wife, with the mother-daughter-in-law equation becoming one of the key sources of humour. “This dynamic is essentially a love triangle between the mother, son and daughter-in-law, and the constant banter between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law brings a lot of fun to their track,” she adds.
Beyond the show, Delnaaz shares a warm and genuine bond with both Anant V. Joshi and Amyra Dastur. She says, “Off-screen, we are like a family now. We have spent so much time together that the bond has become very natural. I share a very warm equation with both Anant and Amyra. With Amyra especially, there is a lovely comfort between us. We talk, laugh, share things and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. With Anant too, there is a lot of warmth and understanding. I think that real bond helps us bring an even more natural equation to the screen.”
However, Delnaaz points out that there is much more to Gulshan and the Taraporewala family than their comic conflicts. She describes them as warm, compassionate and helpful people who are very much part of the social fabric of Chumbak Colony. “While the Taraporewalas are definitely the ‘CEOs’ of the colony, they are also very warm, helpful and sweet people. They are the kind of Parsis who can laugh at themselves. They are extremely kind, compassionate and always ready to help others, though, of course, they love a little gossip and know exactly what is happening in everyone’s house,” she says.
Gulshan herself is someone who genuinely cares about people and is always ready to lend a helping hand. Her friendship with Neena Gupta’s character Rajni also adds another dimension to her personality. “Gulshan is a kind-hearted woman who will go out of her way to help anyone. She is also close friends with Neena Gupta’s character, Rajni, and the two of them are always ready to support those around them,” Delnaaz reveals.
But despite being caring and compassionate towards everyone else, Gulshan has one clear blind spot: her daughter-in-law. The actress believes this contradiction makes her character even more entertaining. “There is an interesting contrast in Gulshan’s personality. She is deeply compassionate and caring towards everyone, but the moment it comes to her daughter-in-law, her entire demeanor changes. Her possessive, protective side comes out, making her character even more entertaining to watch,” Delnaaz concludes.
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