What happens when your neighbours know almost everything about your life—and treat your problems like their own? Netflix’s upcoming series Chumbak takes that familiar neighbourhood dynamic and turns it into a warm, chaotic comedy.
The trailer, released on August 26, introduces a lively colony where privacy is almost impossible, unsolicited advice is always available and even the smallest family issue can become everyone’s business. The show promises a mix of everyday humour, eccentric characters, family drama and plenty of neighbourhood gossip.
The series comes with a familiar comic touch. Chumbak is created by Hats Off Production, the banner behind cult favourites Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Khichdi. Aatish Kapadia has written and directed the series, while Jamnadas (JD) Majethia and Kapadia have produced it.
The trailer brings together five families whose lives are connected. Mickey and Twinkle Oberoi, played by Arjun Bijlani and Helly Shah, are romantic at heart and seem to live in their own little world. Sumeet Vyas and Manasi Parekh play Aditya and Priyanka Khanna, a couple who appear calm on the surface but have their own share of chaos.
Delnaaz Irani, Anant V. Joshi and Amyra Dastur form the Taraporewala family, while Neena Gupta and Deven Bhojani play Rajni and Kuku Merchant, a couple who may argue constantly but remain in love. Sumeet Raghvan and Sandeepa Dhar round out the central families as Dharmendra and Kiran Kejriwal, whose unusual relationship adds another layer of comic confusion.
The humour in Chumbak comes from situations that feel instantly recognisable—from marital disagreements and parenting challenges to family celebrations and the inevitable gossip that travels faster than anything else in a neighbourhood.
Beyond the jokes, the series also taps into a sense of nostalgia. Its setting recalls a time when neighbours were closely involved in one another’s lives, families celebrated together and the people living next door often became an extension of the family.
Majethia and Kapadia said they wanted to recreate that feeling while keeping the setting contemporary.
"With Chumbak, we wanted to capture something familiar to all of us - the neighbourhood where nothing is ever truly 'personal.' There's always someone next door with advice, chai, gossip, or all three. Neighbourhoods are like the families you don't choose, and somewhere in the chaos, these people become family too. We've always loved telling stories and finding humour in everyday relationships, and with Chumbak, we wanted characters who feel familiar yet surprise you. Bringing this world to Netflix lets us take this family comedy to audiences across India and the world. The cast has brought so much warmth and madness to these characters - they have breathed life into these really quirky characters that’ll for sure stick with the audiences. We hope families everywhere connect with them, revel in the nostalgia of old neighbourhoods and most importantly, laugh out loud!”
With Neena Gupta, Deven Bhojani, Sumeet Raghvan, Sandeepa Dhar, Arjun Bijlani, Helly Shah, Sumeet Vyas, Manasi Parekh, Delnaaz Irani, Anant V. Joshi, Amyra Dastur and Atul Kumar leading the ensemble, Chumbak brings together a mix of established names and younger performers.
The trailer suggests that the show’s biggest strength could be its familiarity. These are the kinds of neighbours, relatives and family situations that audiences may recognise from their own lives—only with the volume turned up.
Chumbak will premiere on September 10 on Netflix.
