To introduce Deepika Mhatre, one can say that her life has been the stage where she has been performing comedy all along! She is the mother of three loving and supportive daughters who are extremely proud of their mother’s achievements. Deepika is the sole breadwinner of her family, so to make ends meet she picked up many odd jobs, big and small, that came her way.
She took up caretaker jobs for people ranging from a 104-year-old gentleman to a day-old baby. She also used to sell pickles, papad and farsan door-to-door, climbing up and down four-storey buildings. Despite working hard, she still fell short of money. Her kids were growing up and studied in English medium schools. She had to pay house rent as well. In order to make more money, she started selling imitation jewellery in trains. Simultaneously, she also started cooking in a couple of homes.
Right from her childhood, Deepika has been fond of making people laugh, be it at home, work, or family functions. She used to even sell her jewellery in a witty manner, making her customers laugh which also helped her jewellery sales. This way both she and her customers were able to have fun, and work didn’t feel like burdensome.
Once Deepika received recognition in the comedy circuit and earned a place in the spotlight, her journey of self-discovery and empowerment began by defying social conventions and expectations. She used humour as a vehicle for social critique and change, carving out a niche for herself in the field of stand-up comedy through sheer perseverance and tenacity.