Mumbai-based comedienne Sumaira Shaikh is on a high after the release of her first hour-long comedy special, ‘Dongri Danger’ (2022). It was well-received for its poignant humour which really spoke to viewers. “A lot of people have related to it because ‘Dongri Danger’ has me talking about grief and my brother passing away,” she says. After watching it, many reached out to her saying how they had connected to it on a deeper level beyond the laughs. “I think it was the highest praise for me about the special,” she adds.

Shaikh’s special, which is named after Dongri, a place she calls home, had once been infamous for criminal activities. That perception of the locality has stuck. “The misconception about Dongri is that people are dying on the roads. Like, when I was doing an interview for ‘Dongri Danger’, there were one or two people who asked me ‘Toh phir aapne bachpan se bohot violence dekha hoga’. No, that’s not true. It is perfectly normal,” she says, with a laugh.