“To me, the word ‘parent’ used to mean being responsible. But after becoming one, it’s become something else entirely — being joyfully and lovingly responsible for a tiny human who’s part of you. It’s not just about doing things right, but doing them with heart.

I grew up in a home where both my parents worked and still managed to be there for everything that mattered. Our house was always full of laughter. My parents gave me freedom, encouraged all my weird hobbies, and taught me to be independent — a gift I didn’t fully appreciate until much later.

Now, with my daughter, I find myself recreating that same mix of chaos and joy. We paint, dance, sing, and follow the rules of games she invents.

I started performing stand-up around 2023, back when there were hardly any women in the scene here. My first set was on parenting — I titled it Paranting, a wordplay. I performed at a few shows, and by 2024, I began exploring live performances in different formats.

Most of my material is drawn from daily life — millennial parenting, life in the ’90s, love marriages, retired parents, Telugu families, IT jobs, work-from-home struggles, and NRI siblings. One unique element in my sets is musical comedy. I tweak lyrics in Hindi, English, and Telugu to suit the theme.

Off stage, I’m living the full desi drama life — daughter, sister, mother. Basically, a walking, talking family WhatsApp group. And honestly, these roles are my best material.

Being a daughter taught me how to smile politely while dying inside (perfect for observational comedy). As a sister, I’ve mastered the art of roasting with love. And motherhood? Oh, that’s a goldmine of chaos, sleep deprivation, existential questions from a 5-year-old, and unsolicited parenting advice from strangers at the park.

So yeah, my life off-stage is basically a sitcom, and I just bring it to the mic — unfiltered.

My daughter is a major part of my stand-up content. Recently, she told me not to flip the lyrics of songs anymore because they make her forget the originals. Oh, she’s a keeper 🙂

I also talk a lot about my parents in my sets. My favourite one is about travelling with your parents in the ’90s — it has its own unique brand of chaos and laughter that backs it up. One joke that always makes my dad laugh is about how he would walk at least 500 metres ahead of us and still expect all three of us to match his lightning speed.

On Parents’ Day, I just want to say thank you to my parents for raising me with confidence, humour, and a sense of freedom. And as a parent now, my only hope is that my daughter grows up feeling even more loved, seen, and emotionally safe than I did. And yeah — fingers crossed we break the generational trauma cycle. Therapy is expensive, and she deserves better.”

— Sushma Chitta, Stand-up Comedian from Hyderabad