‘Hinglish & Engdi’ review: Impressive mixed-language set offers plenty of laughs

THE confrontational comedian has made a name for himself as someone who tackles a range of subjects – from everyday issues to relationships – with a no-holds-barred approach.

While he performed his set predominantly in English during his previous appearance at the Soho Theatre in central London, this time around the Indian funny man took a deeper dive into his native Hindi language. Like his earlier stand-up show, he tackled a wide array of subjects, from relatable relationship anecdotes to common occurrences and more surrealist observations including his take on Indian snake charmers.

Although he has a laid-back approach on stage, the talented comic generated a lot of power with his presence and delivery, which ultimately gave his jokes an added punch. The great reactions from the packed-out audience also added gravitas to his already impressive set, which flowed along nicely.

Those who have seen his previous English-language show will have noticed that some of the material had been recycled into Hindi. There was also a lot of scope to have more audience interaction with the clearly enthusiastic crowd. But all that didn’t take away from this immensely entertaining show. It was clearly evident that he could have stayed on stage longer and the audience would have gone along for the ride.

Following in the giant footsteps of his fellow Indian Zakir Khan, the funny man from Mumbai showed there is a real appetite in London for Hindi language stand-up comedy, with a multi-layered show which has proved so popular that his run has been extended at the theatre until next Saturday (23). He really is one of the most versatile comedians working in India today, and that is ultimately why stand-up fans around the world will be hearing a lot more about an exciting talent who has a fearless approach to talking about life.