09 March,2026 01:09 PM IST | Mumbai | Athulya Nambiar
Urooj Ashfaq
In 2024, Indian comedian Urooj Ashfaq became the first from the country to perform at the Edinburg Fringe Festival and even win an award for Best Newcomer performance. Now, the Fringe is all set to make its debut in India with its Mumbai edition and Urooj will be performing at the same.Known for her distinctive comedic voice, Ashfaq says fringe festivals offer performers a rare space to experiment while giving audiences a chance to discover something new.
For audiences in India experiencing the format for the first time, Ashfaq believes the festival offers a unique cultural experience.
"I think for the people who are experiencing the Fringe Festival for the first time in India, it's actually pretty iconic," she tells mid-day. "I know there's not much awareness about the Fringe Festival, but it's a festival that has been going on in many different countries for a very long time."
According to her, the essence of the festival lies in discovery and creative freedom. "I think the point of the Fringe Festival is to discover new artists and maybe see the artists you already know, but also see them do new things," she explains. "Because the Fringe, I think, is really about creatively letting loose from what I've experienced."
She adds that audiences attending the Mumbai edition should expect variety.
"People should definitely look forward to discovering new types of comedy, new genres of comedy and new artists."
Ashfaq's journey at the Edinburgh fringe proved to be a turning point, especially after she won the Best Newcomer (Comedy) award.
"For me personally, what changed is that I was able to find an audience in the UK that I was trying to build through YouTube and Instagram," she says. "Now I was able to get people who are locals in the UK also to my show. So for me, it was nice because I'm able to expand my audience."
She describes the festival as a kind of creative classroom. "There are so many genres of comedy- alternative comedy, clowning, improv comedy, comedy plays. They're so diverse that it's like going to university. We don't really have that for stand-up."
For Ashfaq, it expanded the possibilities of what comedy could be.
"As a writer, it showed me that the sky is the limit. It's not just the stuff I've seen on maybe Netflix, Amazon or YouTube. Just that you can do anything and make it funny was what I learned."
At the Mumbai Fringe Festival, Ashfaq will perform in a lineup show alongside fellow female comedians. "We're doing a lineup show, me, Pavitra and Devanshi," she says. "What's really fun about our show at the Fringe is that we're all friends, but our vibes overlap while also being very different."
Her set explores themes that are both personal and unexpected. "My set in particular is about erotica, which I've really gotten into in this show," she says. "And some of it is about a surgery I had two years ago." Interestingly, the two themes connect in surprising ways. "Strangely, they both really interlap and interconnect," she adds with a laugh. "So I think that's something fun to look forward to."
