Global Citizen
Identity tethered to land, to a nation as a nationality is a compelling force in the lives of people, so much so it is a source of pride, and invariably hatred and violence too. Nationality seems to be a necessary evil, with claims of historical precedence and fantastical mythology galvanizing the idea to serve as the core of one’s identity.
I’ve heard many proudly claim a heritage, and extol the virtues of their people and nation, and it seems that if we all don’t have one, we are missing out. Nations are very real, so are passports and citizenships, but really only insofar that they serve a purpose to uphold a societal engine that maintains an ever-evolving culture and an economy that ultimately serves the most wealthy.
I am of Indian origin, but I was born in East Africa, and brought up in England. Today I am a British citizen, I’ve grown up in London, but I also lived in the US. My identity spans these different nations and cultures, I am not one thing, but a number of identities, I consider myself a Global Citizen. To-date I have travelled quite a bit of the world, mainly thanks to comedy.
Being able to perform stand up has opened up doors for me to visit many different nations that I might have never gone to, and stayed in fancy hotels with cart blanche privileges. And just about wherever I go, I am met with fellow comedian friends who have become an extended family and who always welcome me whenever I am in town.
INDIAN
Ethnically I am of Indian origin, and possess a native/high-standard of Hindi/Urdu as my mother tongue, because that is what I first learnt to speak at home. So when The Comedy Store had built a new club out in Mumbai back in the noughties, I was an ideal fit. There I was able to jump between English and Hindi, amazing myself and the Indian audience who considered me more English than Indian. It was a great and unique experience that I rarely get to have, it allowed me to connect with my roots in many ways, whilst making friends with budding open mic comics on the Indian comedy scene, some of whom would become very successful like my friend (and protégé 😝) Daniel Fernandes.
ASIAN
‘Asian’ is quite broad, and even gets me onto these gigs with fellow Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and other Indian diaspora comics!
AFRICAN
I’ve been invited to perform at both The Cape Town and Johannesburg Comedy Festivals, and even in Malawi, with my Kenyan roots a characterizing factor. There are many Indians in East and South Africa, and have been there for a few generations. However, destiny had decreed that I’d be brought up in England, and would become a British citizen, but the African audiences still welcome me nonetheless. We are all ‘children of empire’ it seems, and particularly in South Africa the vibe of oneness amongst comics spreads across the various ethnic groups that make up the nation.
BRITISH
When abroad, especially where there are a lot of British expats, a ‘British’ comedy night is put on at places like the British Clubs in Singapore and Thailand, and my presence is sometimes met with chuckles. My act remains in English, and for the most part I have been welcomed.
MUSLIM
I have got to perform in ‘Muslim’ countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Malaysia, where censorship is a big deal. I have been censored in all these countries, oftentimes due to a misunderstanding. In these countries, the dominant ethnic group owns the Muslim identity, and me as a British-Asian, can be seen as a bit of an outsider to the faith identity. As these countries are still getting used to stand up comedy and the realties of satire in public spaces, especially about important topics, I have had to err in favour of caution, especially after I have been discreetly warned in these countries by the secret police who pop in to watch the shows with their distinctly inexperienced sense of humour.
Outside of Muslim countries, in places like Belgium and The Netherlands, I was introduced by the godfather of English comedy in that neck of the woods; Nigel Williams, to the local Muslim comedians who are mostly of Moroccan and Turkish origin. As they too were venturing into comedy and performing in Flemish/Dutch but also wanted to expand into English, our faith identity was a grounds for our bonding. So many years later, we have a ritual to eat Adana almost every night during my stints over there.
Over the years I have performed quite a few times in Belgium, The Netherlands, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, East and South Africa. Hong Kong and China. And whenever I go to these places, I am met by comrades, my extended comedy family from many different backgrounds. Over the years, we’ve not only gigged together, but travelled the world together, eaten together after shows late into the night. Especially in Singapore and Malaysia, where we can sit on plastic furniture, eat street food in the street, and take cabs home because the cost of living in the east allows for such experiences without the prohibitive costs we know in the west.
MAN OF THE WORLD
These experiences make me feel really grateful that I am able to meet and mix with so many different groups of people, there is a pleasant overlap where we can all share with each other and enjoy each other’s company. These are the experiences that make life feel fulfilling, the quality of the relationships with others with whom you get along, and it is the world of stand up comedy that made that possible for me.
Maybe, it’s less important where we’re from, and more important where we can go together.
