Fresh, fearless, and laugh-out-loud funny, rising star Tarang Hardikar brings his sharp wit to the Fringe for the first time as part of Soho Theatre’s Edinburgh Fringe programme.
IF I'M NOT WRONG finds Tarang reflecting on his life after a late autism diagnosis, revisiting childhood memories and the confusing, inconsistent rules of the world he grew up in. Why is the biggest prize in football an everyday mundane object? Has anyone actually seen a coconut tree grow? And was maths really invented for its own sake, or just to make English easier? Armed with obsessive logic and a forensic commitment to tangents, Tarang applies his uniquely unbending rationality to the things most people wouldn't give a second thought, and then gives them a third, fourth, and probably well into double figures.
Tarang Hardikar is a comedian and animator based in Pune, India, known for his offbeat observational comedy and physical delivery. He began performing stand-up in 2017 whilst studying design, and has since built a following with shows including CHESS, a clean, clever dissection of the game's absurdities, and his solo show LINE IS NOT A LINE. Named as one of four Rising Stars at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival by The Age, IF I'M NOT WRONG marks his Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut.
Tarang Hardikar: IF I’M NOT WRONG is part of Soho Theatre’s Edinburgh Fringe 2026 programme, featuring 19 shows across eight venues, including Frankie Thompson, Frankie McNair, Underground Monk Show, Patti Harrison, Spencer Jones, Demi Adejuyigbe, and many more. As the driving force behind the ‘unstoppable rise of Indian comedy in the UK’ (The Guardian, May 2024), this year Soho Theatre will also present a new show by Kanan Gill with NOT THIS AGAIN, followed by a UK tour.
London Previews
Thu 30 Jul – Sat 1 Aug, 20:30
Soho Theatre Upstairs
Buy tickets here
Pleasance Attic
Wed 5 – Sun 30 Aug (not 17)
18:00 (60 mins)
From £13.50 (previews £8)
Buy tickets here
Soho Theatre Transfer
Tue 1 – Sat 5 Sep, 19:15
Soho Theatre Downstairs
Buy tickets here
What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
Now that you say it, I should do all 3 of those actually. No idea how many open fly shows i’ve done. But i have this ritual pre show where i click a photo of wherever i’m standing. To document my mood before the show. It helps me ground myself. My gallery is full of 100s of photos of my shoes with different floor backgrounds.
What irritates you?
Sounds of the chaotic kind. I hate traffic sounds and clubs. They are saying too much without any inherent synchrony. I just want to tell them “get your shit together and make a proper melody!”
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
Probably, bungee jumping. I thought heights didn’t bother me at all until i went up there and realized its the height of the height that was the parameter. Heights above a certain height do bother me.
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
There are many. But among the top ones would be starting to perform my set on a date, where i did all 30 minutes and then i didn’t know what to say.
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
I guess the randomness of it all. Sometimes when you put a lot of pressure on a show or a joke or a taping, it may not work. When you let go of the pressure, it just suddenly happens.
What do your parents think of your job?
They were not very happy about it when i started for obvious monetary reasons but seeing me on stage and hearing about me through people has made them slowly come around.
What’s the worst thing about being a comedian?
I always say this, being on stage is the absolute best part. That’s the part that helps me put up with everything else. The constant travel, touring, pleasing the algorithm, it all gets to me at times, but then i go on stage tell a new joke and it becomes worth it again.
I think you are very good at what you do (that’s why I’m asking these questions). What do you think of you?
Haha thank you. Sometimes i wish i saw myself with the same admiration and compassion. I am definitely trying to. I see myself as someone with a unique way of thinking and i feel a responsibility for putting it out there.
How much do you earn and how much would you like to earn?
I earn through standup full time now. It mostly comes through touring and sometimes through corporate shows. I am trying to get a balance between that and maybe starting my own youtube IP, so i don’t have to travel all the time. I would like to earn as much as it takes for me to sit at home and make my board games and eat my favorites food for the rest of my life.
How important is luck in terms of career success – have you had lucky breaks?
Luck plays a huge role. Lot of it is about timing. You might get the perfect joke at the wrong time in your career and you may not know how to work it out or you may get a great opportunity you aren’t yet ready for. I think just trying to build yourself and hoping for the right thing to happen at the right time is all that works.
Alan Davies has said that comedians fall into two categories - golfers and self-harmers. The former just get on with life, the latter are tortured artists. Which are you – or do you think you fit into third category?
I am an ex self harmer trying to be a golfer. When i started comedy i started with a state of mind of making it at all costs. After 10 years i realize that that isn’t the goal and to just have fun along the way and let things work out.
Who is your favourite person ever and why – not including family or friends or other comedians?
The thing i am proudest of right now is about having a healthy and close friend group which i’ve never really had in life. My friends Advit, Nathan, Vera and Tashi are my support system and I can count on them for anything.
Do you keep your drawers tidy and if not why not? (please think long and hard about this question, it's to settle an argument with my girlfriend. The future of our relationship could depend on your response).
I try my best to. But sometimes i don’t. You never know when it’s tidy. It’s the luck of the draw.
AND NOW THE OPTIONAL BONUS BALL QUESTION...I've asked you 13 questions, now you get to choose a question you can ask about yourself and then answer. It could be "Why do you comedy?" it could be "Do you have any pension advice?" Or it can be anything in between. Seriously. Anything at all. I look forward to all of your answers.
Why do I do comedy?
The answer has changed over the years. Earlier i thought it was a way to show my true self and feel a sense of acceptance. But now i feel it’s more about it being a diary. From past Tarang’s weird thoughts to present Tarang’s weird thoughts and how they’ve developed.
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