Review: Anirban Dasgupta: Polite Provocation

While attending a festival, Anirban Dasgupta had the experience of staying in a heritage house and sleeping in a bed once used by Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. This story introduces an unexpected "loophole" Dasgupta has found performing stand-up comedy in India – that jokes about Gandhi can somehow evade the scrutiny of censorship more freely than other topics. 

India has one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant comedy scenes globally, with Dasgupta being a prominent figure for the past decade. However, comedians often face the looming threat of punishment for their words. "I want to do comedy and not have to look over my shoulder," Dasgupta shares about performing in the UK. (Tonight, he hilariously has to establish the truth of an audience member's claim that she is working for the Indian Consulate.)

After he has gently torn into some of the logical flaws of Gandhi's legacy, he shifts his focus to Ganesh – a deity in Hinduism. These bold choices of subject matter soon give way to the global issue of fake news and the delicate balance comedians must maintain between facts and fiction. But despite the seemingly serious themes, Dasgupta’s natural geniality – and the relatable, everyday scenarios these strands finish on – makes for a more uplifting and breezier hour than you'd expect. 

He's perhaps still finding his feet in Edinburgh. At one point he questions Scotland's passion for cricket, reflecting on a joke that he says hasn't landed well throughout August. It makes him a little cautious as he reads the room – though his affable charm and interactions with the audience more often turns these moments into another round of laughter.

As Polite Provocation progresses, it continues to weave the personal and political. Dasgupta shares stories about his daughter and moves into a layered narrative about his family history, closing a show that balances the deeply thought-provoking with a smiling sense of fun.