As a regular BBC Radio 4 listener, Aditi first came into my consciousness with her own series, A Beginner’s Guide to India. She has also appeared on every major English and Hindi network in India. I was therefore curious to see how her stand up compared to the many female comedians of Asian heritage working here in the UK.
This is Aditi’s debut in at the Edinburgh Fringe and her show explores how her place in our global village makes her feel she belongs nowhere and everywhere at the same time. In her culture Aditi is the ‘village idiot’ because she doesn’t have a defined role, isn’t married and performs stand up.
I guessed that she would have a different point of reference and there are things that she talked about that I have never experienced or encountered which are very alien to our western culture. That said, Aditi involves the non-Indians in the audience with some stereotypical references about her accent and head nodding.
There were some intriguing scatological references to make a cultural point rather than to get laughs. ‘Wash not wipe’, the apparent British obsession with toilet paper marketing and how to use a bidet got many laughs. Then to a far more serious point about the perils of outdoor defecation which was a reference to a form of abuse within marriage in poor communities. She even ‘joked’ about the recent acid attacks on the basis that this would be more likely to happen to her back in India than on the streets of London.
It’s not until you look back at Aditi’s material that you realise she is making a statement about culture, racism, equality and more. She looks and feels very western and admits to being part of a privileged minority back home in India who look down on the slums and don’t have to engage with them.
The horrors of third world sanitation may not be what you expect from a comedy show but I’m all for a woman who uses her status to publicise the plight of others less fortunate. A powerful and funny show.
★★★★
Aditi Mittal: Global Village Idiot is at the Underbelly Med Quad at 18:35 until 27th August. For tickets and more information click here!
