Amyra Dastur has revealed that she came surprisingly close to missing out on her role in Netflix’s Chumbak after an audition opportunity was lost in a communication mix-up with her former manager.
The actress eventually discovered that the series was casting for a character from the Parsi community and decided to approach the casting director herself. After auditioning—and eventually auditioning again—Amyra secured the role, which became particularly meaningful because of her own Parsi heritage.
During the Mumbai promotions of Chumbak, Amyra spoke to IANS alongside co-stars Arjun Bijlani, Helly Shah, Delnaaz Irani and Anant Joshi about the series and her experience of joining the project.
Amyra Dastur Says Her Former Manager Did Not Tell Her About the Audition
Amyra described her route to Chumbak as an unusual one.
According to the actress, her former manager had not informed her about the audition. She later found out that the casting process for the role was already underway.
When she learned that the project featured a Parsi character, Amyra felt that her background could make her a strong fit.
“So mine is actually a very funny story because my former manager didn’t tell me about this audition. Then I got to know that the casting process is underway for this part, and being a Parsi, I felt that I would be the perfect fit for the part because the show features the premise of the Parsi community,” she said.
Rather than waiting for the opportunity to come to her, Amyra contacted the casting director directly.
She Personally Contacted Casting Director Jogi
Amyra recalled messaging casting director Jogi after learning about the audition.
“I remember, I messaged Jogi sir myself, our casting director, and I said, ‘I heard you’re auditioning for a series and it’s a Parsi character. So, why haven’t you called me?’” she recalled.
The response came as a surprise. Amyra said Jogi told her the team had already contacted her but believed she had declined the opportunity.
“He said, ‘We had already reached out to you but then you only said no’. I was like, ‘Oh no, I’ll come and audition’,” Amyra recalled.
The misunderstanding could easily have ended with Amyra never auditioning for the role.
Instead, she went ahead with the casting process.
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Amyra Auditioned Twice Before Getting the Role
Amyra eventually auditioned and learned that the makers had also been under the impression that she was not interested in joining the series.
“And yeah, I auditioned for him, luckily it worked out and even the makers told me that he thought I wasn’t interested in the project,” she said.
The actress clarified that she had never intentionally rejected the role.
“And I was like, no, that’s not the case. So yeah, I think I auditioned twice and then I got the call,” she added.
Her persistence ultimately turned a missed communication into an opportunity to play a character that had a personal connection to her own cultural background.
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Why Playing a Parsi Character Matters to Amyra
Amyra said she was especially happy to be part of a project that allowed her to represent the Parsi community on screen.
The actress also credited her experienced co-stars with helping her push herself as a performer, particularly because the series gives her an opportunity to explore comedy.
“See, at the end of the day, I feel acting is acting. You need good actors around you, because it’s also based on their reactions to your acting,” she said.
Working alongside veteran performers, she explained, naturally encouraged her to raise her performance level.
“So, when you have such amazing veterans, when you have such amazing people around you, I think you automatically just level up, or at least you push yourself to level up,” Amyra said.
She added that comedy had always been something she wanted to explore.
“Comedy is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m really glad I got a chance to do it, and also to do it in my culture, because like I said, I’m full Parsi, and it’s so nice to represent that, because there are very few characters like this that come,” she said.
Amyra Says She Immediately Connected With the Character
Amyra also remembered her initial reaction when the show’s maker narrated the story to her.
“And I remember the maker of the show narrated everything to me, I was like, ‘Okay, I really relate to this character, because it’s just so much fun’,” she recalled.
That personal connection appears to have been one of the reasons the project stood out to her beyond the usual considerations of taking on a new acting role.
For Amyra, Chumbak offered the chance to combine comedy with a story rooted in a community she personally belongs to—a combination she says is relatively uncommon on screen.
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What Is Chumbak About?
Chumbak explores relationships and family dynamics within a Parsi community, bringing together elements of comedy and family drama.
The series features Amyra Dastur alongside Arjun Bijlani, Helly Shah, Delnaaz Irani and Anant Joshi.
Chumbak is currently streaming on Netflix.
