:Draft:Manjeet Sarkar

Sarkar was born and raised in a village in Eastern India.

Based in Bengaluru, Sarkar has been a regular performer at various comedy clubs and venues in the city since 2018. His debut performance took place at an Open Mic event hosted by The Habitat - Comedy and Music Cafe in Mumbai. In August 2022, an Instagram reel featuring Sarkar jokingly advising upper-caste audience members gained significant attention. Subsequently, he received media coverage from The Guardian, [https://theprint.in/features/im-dalit-but-identify-as-a-brahmin-how-dalit-comedians-in-india-are-smashing-elite-nexus/1092090/ The Print], [https://www.instagram.com/p/CiVaukRJLtw/ Brut], [https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2022/1017/Make-them-laugh-India-s-Dalit-comics-challenge-caste-one-joke-at-a-time Christian Science Monitor], and [https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Dalit-comedians-fighting-discrimination-one-joke-at-a-time-56985.html Asia News].{{Cite web |last=Mumbai |first=Asma Hafiz and Kamran Yousuf in |date=2023-02-22 |title=Who’s laughing now? The Dalit comedians punching up against India’s caste system |url=https://amp.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/feb/22/whos-laughing-now-the-dalit-comedians-punching-up-against-indias-caste-system |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

In December 2023, Sarkar became one of the first stand-up comedians to represent India at the United Nations. He performed as part of the global line-up for [https://bangkok.ohchr.org/a-night-of-comedy-to-stand-up-for-human-rights/ A Night of Comedy to Stand-Up For Human Rights] hosted in Bangkok by the UN Human Rights Office. He subsequently launched his Untouchable World Tour in 2024, where he performs his stand-up solo and test screens his first feature-length documentary, Untouchable: Laughing Out Caste.

In October 2022, following an Instagram reel that gained significant attention, Sarkar announced his nationwide tour, "[https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/brahmin-ignorance-liberal-guilt-karl-marx-manjeet-sarkar-spares-none-in-untouchable/1597455/ Untouchable]." This 60-minute stand-up comedy show delves into Sarkar’s upbringing, his absurd experiences, and observations on village and metropolitan life. Notably, Sarkar is the first comedian from the Dalit community, from Bengaluru, and from rural India to announce an all-India tour. The fourth and final leg of the "Untouchable" tour in India concluded in December 2023. The show was reviewed by [https://theprint.in/features/im-dalit-but-identify-as-a-brahmin-how-dalit-comedians-in-india-are-smashing-elite-nexus/1092090/ The Print].

In 2024, Sarkar launched his global tour of Untouchable. This decision was covered by media outlets, including [https://deadant.co/manjeet-sarkar-is-taking-his-comedy-show-untouchable-across-the-seven-seas/ Deadant Comedy].

Untouchable: Laughing Out Caste is Sarkar’s first documentary, covering his groundbreaking journey across India and the world. The film captures his unique perspective on rural and urban life, caste, and class, highlighting the universality of issues faced by marginalized communities and the transformative power of artistic expression. The documentary is co-directed and edited by Mike Noone, a Boston-based videographer.

The film is scheduled for public release in 2025. In 2024, early drafts were screened at the [https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/2024/Feb/29/art-unfettered-brings-performances-by-five-renowned-artistes Art, Unfettered] festival in Chennai, India, the [https://cisar.iar.ubc.ca/events/event/untouchable/ University of British Columbia] in Vancouver, Canada, [https://www.mela.no/en/arrangement/film-standup-manjeet-sarkar-untouchable-laughing-out-caste/ Melahuset] in Oslo, Norway as part of the Untouchable World Tour, and the Fox Theatre in Toronto. The film has been featured by [https://www.platform-mag.com/film/laughing-out-caste-with-manjeet-sarkar.html Platform Magazine] and [https://www.aftenposten.no/amagasinet/i/Jb10Wb/manjeet-sarkar-min-superkraft-er-at-jeg-er-uroerlig A-magasinet]. Following the Oslo screening, the Director of the International Dalit Solidarity Network published a [https://idsn.org/idsns-executive-director-reviews-untouchable-laughing-out-caste-by-manjeet-sarkar/ review].

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