Elli AvrRam has opened up about an unexpectedly difficult moment she experienced while filming her latest web series Chummbak, revealing that she suffered an anxiety attack on set for the first time in her career.
The actor was simultaneously dealing with a challenging period in her personal life. Yet, stepping into the world of Chummbak and playing the energetic and flamboyant Alicia gave her an opportunity to temporarily move away from those difficulties and embrace a more carefree side of herself.
“It helped me a lot to get into a fun space of just being silly and free!” Elli said while discussing the experience.
However, behind the light-hearted scenes, the shoot also became the setting for a deeply difficult personal moment.
Elli AvrRam recalls first anxiety attack on a film set
Elli revealed that she experienced an anxiety attack during the Chummbak shoot, something she had never gone through during her career.
“For the first time in my career did I get an anxiety attack on set and it was very traumatic to experience, but I was in great hands and got well taken care of,” she said.
The actor’s comments highlight the contrast between the cheerful world of the comedy and what she was experiencing privately at the time.
Rather than allowing the incident to define her experience on the project, Elli said the people around her provided a supportive environment that helped her through the difficult moment.
‘Chummbak set is like one big family’
Elli specifically credited the Chummbak team for creating an atmosphere in which she felt supported.
“The best part of the shoot was that Chummbak set is like one big family, from our director Aatish sir to producer JD sir and all actors. The environment itself was very uplifting and everyone was so supportive and fun,” she said.
For Elli, that support became particularly meaningful because of the circumstances she was navigating away from the camera.
“It really warmed my heart to once again be reminded of how many beautiful people we also have in the film industry,” she added.
Her experience also offers a reminder that a lively and entertaining production environment does not necessarily mean every performer is having an easy time personally.
Comedy gave Elli a lighter space
Despite the difficult period, Chummbak also gave Elli an opportunity to return to a genre she has enjoyed for years.
“I’m all for comedies and especially sitcoms because it’s so light and entertaining that it always leaves you feeling good,” she said.
Her interest in comedy goes back to childhood. Elli recalled enjoying comic performances even during her school years.
“In fact, since my childhood have I been enjoying to imitate funny characters. Even in school did I perform comedy plays,” she said.
That early enthusiasm for comedy appears to have translated naturally into her approach to Chummbak, where she gets to play a character considerably more flamboyant than some of her previous roles.
Who is Elli AvrRam’s Alicia in Chummbak?
In Chummbak, Elli plays Alicia, a guest who arrives in the colony and becomes part of the show’s comic world.
Keeping the character’s future deliberately teasing, Elli said, “My character comes in as a guest into the Chummbak colony, but who knows what happens next! Hehe.”
The actor described Alicia as a loud and diva-centric character, making her notably different from another comedy role she previously played.
That distinction was important for Elli, who did not want her latest performance to simply repeat something she had already done.
Elli AvrRam reunites with Neena Gupta
Chummbak also brought Elli back together with Neena Gupta, following their earlier collaboration in Goodbye.
Elli said she enjoyed working with Gupta again, particularly because Goodbye had also given her the opportunity to explore comedy.
“It was fun working with Neena mam again after Goodbye which was another comedy role of mine I thoroughly enjoyed portraying,” she said.
However, Elli sees a clear difference between the two characters she played.
“If I compare the two roles with each other, then Alicia’s character is more loud and diva-centric,” she explained.
That difference allowed her to approach the new role from a different performance angle rather than relying on the same comic style.
Elli praises Chummbak director Aatish
Elli also credited director Aatish with helping her understand and develop Alicia.
She described him as a “genius in comedy” and praised his hands-on approach to directing. According to Elli, Aatish would often perform scenes himself while explaining how he wanted the moments to play out.
For an actor working in comedy, that kind of direction can be particularly valuable because timing, physical reactions and delivery can completely change how a scene lands.
For Elli, the director’s guidance, combined with the supportive atmosphere on set, helped her navigate a project that ultimately became much more significant than simply another acting assignment.
A difficult experience behind a light-hearted show
Elli AvrRam’s experience on Chummbak reflects the contrasting realities that can exist behind a comedy production. While the series allowed her to inhabit a playful character and reconnect with a genre she has loved since childhood, the shoot also coincided with a difficult period in her personal life.
Her disclosure about experiencing an anxiety attack for the first time on set is deeply personal, and she has credited the people around her for taking care of her when she needed support.
At the same time, her memories of Chummbak are not defined solely by that difficult episode. The actor’s comments suggest that the people she worked with, the freedom of playing Alicia and the joy she finds in comedy all became important parts of the experience.
Editor’s note: Anxiety attacks can be serious and can have different causes and symptoms. This article reports Elli AvrRam’s personal account and is not medical advice.
