Ahir Shah
{{short description|British comedian}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = Ahir Shah
| image = Ahir Shah in 2015.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Shah in 2015
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|12|28|df=y}}{{Cite tweet|number=1343519782545588225|user=AhirShah|title=I am now 30 years old, a fact I hope will lead to a decline in the amount of clowning around I must tolerate|author=Ahir Shah|date=2020-12-28|access-date=2023-01-31}}
| birth_place = London, England, UK
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Clare College, Cambridge (BA)
| medium = Stand-up
| genre = Political comedy
| website = {{URL|ahirshah.com|Official website}}
}}
Ahir Shah (born 28 December 1990) is a British comedian. He was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 and 2018, and won the award in 2023.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Veronica |date=2023-08-26 |title=Edinburgh festival fringe: Ahir Shah's Ends wins best show at comedy awards |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/aug/26/edinburgh-festival-fringe-ahir-shah-ends-comedy-awards-best-show |access-date=2023-08-26 |issn=0261-3077}} Before that he was a finalist in the 2008 So You Think You're Funny? competition for new acts. Shah has been called "one of his generation's most eloquent comic voices".
Early life
Shah was born and raised in London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/22/all-the-fun-of-the-fringe-comedy-edinburgh-festival-ripley-ahir-shah-rose-matafeo-rob-carter|title=All the fun of the fringe: the best comedy to see in Edinburgh, part one|last1=Hogan|first1=Michael|date=2018-07-22|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-16|last2=Jones|first2=Ralph|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}} His parents, Vikram and Alka, are originally from India.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beat.com.au/ahir-shah-new-order/|title=Ahir Shah : New Order|date=2017-03-29|website=Beat Magazine|language=en-AU|access-date=2020-01-16 |last1=Brancatisano |first1=Gloria }} Shah's mother is a state primary school teacher.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rhlstp.co.uk/website.cgi?page=podcasts&id=1234|title=RHLSTP 249 - Ahir Shah|website=www.rhlstp.co.uk|access-date=2020-01-16}} His grandmother, who had been living with the family in the UK, was deported to India when Shah was five years old.{{cite news|title=Ahir Shah: Duffer review - Political Standup gets personal|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/aug/13/ahir-shah-review-duffer-laughing-horse-edinburgh|access-date=29 September 2021}}
He attended Preston Manor comprehensive school in Wembley{{Cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/education/former-students-return-to-wembley-school-for-wow-talk-event-1-4021247|title=Former students return to Wembley school for WOW talk event|last=Raffray|first=Nathalie|website=Kilburn Times|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/standing-up-to-the-crunch-6010716|title=Standing up to the crunch|date=2009-02-12|website=getwestlondon|access-date=2020-01-16}} and went on to the University of Cambridge. He graduated in 2012 with a degree in Politics, Psychology and Sociology (PPS) from Clare College.{{Cite web|url=https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/alumni/spotlight-ahir-shah|title=Spotlight on: Ahir Shah — Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)|website=www.polis.cam.ac.uk|date=25 January 2017 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}
Career
When he was 15, Shah started doing comedy at open mic nights. His father had encouraged him to try different extracurricular activities, and stand-up comedy "struck a passion". He performed all through his school and university years, taking his debut show Astrology to Edinburgh in 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2011/ahir_shah/|title=Ahir Shah - Edinburgh Fringe 2011|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-16}}
In 2019, he toured the UK with his show Dots.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/aug/06/ahir-shah-dots-review-monkey-barrel-comedy-edinburgh-festival-2019|title=Ahir Shah: Dots review – humour and poetry in existential angst|last=Logan|first=Brian|date=2019-08-06|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-16|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} His previous shows are Astrology (2011), Anatomy (2013),{{Cite web|url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/reviews/6054|title=Theatre: Ahir Shah: Anatomy|website=Varsity Online|last=Brown|first=Rivkah|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}} Texture (2014),{{Cite web|url=http://threeweeksedinburgh.com/article/ed2014-comedy-review-ahir-shah-texture-ahir-shah/|title=Ahir Shah – Texture (Ahir Shah) {{!}} ThreeWeeks Edinburgh|access-date=2020-01-16}} Distant (2015),{{Cite web|url=http://broadwaybaby.com/shows/ahir-shah-distant/706500|title=Ahir Shah: Distant: 5 star review by Jake A Ellamen|website=broadwaybaby.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}} Machines (2016),{{Cite web|url=https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/83059-ahir-shah-machines/|title=Ahir Shah: Machines|date=2016-08-08|website=Edinburgh Festival|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-16}} Control (2017),{{Cite web|url=http://www.edfestmag.com/reviews/ahir-shah-control/|title=Ahir Shah: Control|date=2017-08-09|last=Laing|first=Morgan|website=Edinburgh Festivals Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-16}} and Duffer (2018).{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/ahir_shah/|title=Ahir Shah|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-16}}
Shah is a writer and performer on BBC Two's satirical news show The Mash Report.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-mash-report-nish-kumar-bbc-behind-the-scenes-a8214451.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220010104/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-mash-report-nish-kumar-bbc-behind-the-scenes-a8214451.html |archive-date=2018-02-20 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=We shadowed a weekly satire show to find out how they work|date=2018-02-16|last=Richman|first=Darren|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}} He has appeared on TV panel shows including Frankie Boyle's New World Order, Have I Got News For You and Mock the Week, on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz, and has performed on Live at The Apollo. His acting credits include roles in Campus, Brotherhood, and Catastrophe.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4113476/|title=Ahir Shah|website=IMDb|access-date=2020-01-16}}
In December 2019, it was announced that Shah would be joining fellow comedian Suzi Ruffell on her new radio panel show entitled Explicable Me on BBC Radio 2.{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/explicable_me/|title=Explicable Me - Radio 2 Panel Show|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-16}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/12/17/45021/radio_2_show_for_suzi_ruffell_and_ahir_shah|title=Radio 2 show for Suzi Ruffell and Ahir Shah : News 2019 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|last=Bennett|first=Steve|website=www.chortle.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}} In 2021, Shah had an HBO special called Dots.{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11459872/ | title=Ahir Shah: Dots (TV Special 2021) - IMDb | website=IMDb }}
In 2023, Shah won the Best Comedy Show award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his show Ends.{{cite web | url=https://www.comedyawards.co.uk/winners | title=2024 Winners }} The show will be streaming as a Netflix special from September 2024.
In 2024, he appeared as a co-host of The Bugle podcast.{{cite web |url=https://shows.acast.com/thebugle/episodes/trum-on-trial |title=The Bugle - Trump on Trial! |website=acast.com |date=2024 |accessdate=25 April 2024 }}
In 2025, he made a BBC Radio 4 series, Ahir Shah's 7 Blunders of the World, based on the Seven Social Sins.{{cite web |last=Shah |first=Ahir |date=2025-01-07 |title=Ahir Shah's Seven Blunders of the World |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00268zt |website=BBC |access-date=2025-04-21}}
Personal life
Shah has suffered from depression, and has discussed coming off medication for it during his stand-up routine.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/what-to-see/ahir-shah-duffer-review-edinburgh-fringe-blazing-talent-firing/|title=Ahir Shah: Duffer review, Edinburgh Fringe: a blazing talent firing on all cylinders|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=22 August 2018 |accessdate=10 May 2019 |last1=Saunders |first1=Tristram Fane }} He has spoken about his reluctance to be a "nodding dog" (an unthinking advocate) for white guilt in relation to European colonialism.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/what-to-see/ahir-shah-dots-review-soho-theatrea-captivating-energising-hour/|title=Ahir Shah: Dots, Soho Theatre, review: a captivating, energising hour|publisher=The Telegraph|date=18 September 2019}}
During the November 2015 Paris attacks, Shah was performing at Le Paname Art Café in the Rue de la Fontaine-au-Roi, only a few doors down from the Café Bonne Biere that was one of the attack sites. The experience formed part of Shah's 2016 show Machines.
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/a/33417/ahir_shah|title=Ahir Shah, comedian |website=Chortle|date= |accessdate=20 October 2017}}
{{cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2017/08/23/37668/record_nine_nominees_for_edinburgh_comedy_award|title=Record NINE nominees for Edinburgh comedy award |website=Chortle|date=23 August 2017|accessdate=19 October 2017}}
}}
External links
- [http://www.ahirshah.com Official website]
- [https://twitter.com/AhirShah Twitter]
- [http://avalonuk.com/clients/ahir-shah/ Agent's website]
- {{IMDb name|id=4113476}}
- {{British Comedy Guide|people|ahir_shah}}
{{Edinburgh Comedy Award winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Ahir}}
Category:English male comedians
Category:English people of Indian descent
Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Brent
Category:English stand-up comedians