Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Mirth from Mirza
Goodness Gracious Mirza! That’s how Britain’s well-loved, Asian-Muslim comedian Jeff Mirza is referred to. “His warm, incisive, wit-strewn comedy celebrates the absurd incongruities when two contrasting cultures collide,” wrote The Guardian.

The Emmy Award winning comedian will be here to perform at a spectacular dinner comedy at the Taj Samudra on September 19 and 20. And he is sure to make you laugh with a show similar to the popular TV series ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No. 42’.

Jeff Mirza developed a passion for making people laugh when he was just 14 years old. His classmates thought that his rendition of his family holiday in Southend was hilarious. That decided his destiny and a comic was born.

However, he was not an overnight success. When in 1995, he became a finalist in the ‘BBC open mike award’ for the ‘Stand-up show’ he gave up his job as a structural engineer and took to being a full-time comedian. He explores serious issues like the clashing of cultures and expresses them through comedy, which he thinks is a great vehicle for pushing ideas. “I like the idea of turning a stereotype on its head,” explains Jeff Mirza.

With the audience agreeing whole-heartedly with him, Jeff Mirza has had the audacity to mock Brummie Asians for speaking like West Indians and white Britons for ridiculing “Indians”.

His favourite stories like his ‘Family’s annual day out’ and ‘Why Asians are hopeless at football’ are hilarious. The latter was the basis for his show about football at the Leicester Comedy Festival called ‘Corner Shots’ that ran to rave reviews. Jeff Mirza recently launched his solo comedy ‘Jihad’and since then he has been performing at Muslim weddings.

He has also been featured on various TV programmes, festivals, theatrical performances, and has performed at all the major clubs including Jongleurs, where he is a regular. French movie fans can watch him playing a cameo role in Arthur Joffe’s film ‘Ne Quittez Pas’ (Hold On).

Colombo audiences may remember him from his role in the hit movie Bend it like Beckham. Himalaya and The Colombo Serendib Round Table 2 present the show. The Sunday Times is the print media sponsor. - EW

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