‘Punching up against colonialism is glorious!’ The unstoppable rise of Indian comedy in the UK

News Snapshot:

In the summer of 2010, Anuvab Pal was writing an article about the opening of the Comedy Store in Mumbai, impresario Don Ward’s attempt to introduce British-style standup to India. Pal, then working primarily as a screenwriter, went to interview Ward, whose storied London venue was a cradle of alternative comedy in the 1980s. He told Pal that press coverage was all well and good, but what he really needed was performers. The initial plan – flying British comics out to India – would be too costly to maintain long-term, which meant he had to find talent, fast. Would Pal...