"The show kind of developed from that thought."
Pune-based comedian Tarang Hardikar is bringing his distinctive brand of observational comedy to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the first time with IF I’M NOT WRONG.
The rising star’s debut Fringe show explores life after a late autism diagnosis, using childhood memories and everyday observations to question the confusing logic behind the world around us.
From football trophies to coconut trees, Tarang transforms seemingly ordinary ideas into detailed explorations filled with curiosity, humour and unexpected connections.
Known for his offbeat approach and physical storytelling, he has spent the past few years developing a style that blends sharp analysis with a fascination for life’s smallest details.
After building a following in India through shows including CHESS and LINE IS NOT A LINE, Tarang is now bringing his unique perspective to an international audience.
In an interview with DESIblitz, Tarang Hardikar discussed how his diagnosis shaped the show, the thinking behind his unusual observations and what it means to make his Edinburgh Fringe debut.
Finding Clarity through Late Diagnosis
Tarang Hardikar is bringing IF I’M NOT WRONG to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe after spending three years refining the show across India and international stages.
For the Pune-based comedian, the timing reflects how much the material has evolved through performance.
He explains: “I have been touring this show in India for two years and now abroad for one more year. It just feels like the right time because the show is ripe and feels ready.”
The show centres on Tarang’s life following a late autism diagnosis, using comedy to revisit childhood memories and examine the often contradictory rules that shape everyday life.
Rather than treating the diagnosis as a dramatic turning point, he uses it to reframe experiences that once carried uncertainty, as he explains:
“Having an autism diagnosis helped me treat my younger self with compassion and see myself in a new way.”
“The show kind of developed from that thought. I now hold those memories in less angst or guilt but rather with a sense of pride for having a unique experience of life.”
That perspective runs throughout IF I’M NOT WRONG.
Childhood stories become opportunities to explore identity with honesty, while comedy provides the space to question experiences that once felt difficult to understand.
Why Ordinary Things become Extraordinary
Tarang Hardikar’s comedy is built around seemingly insignificant observations that spiral into unexpectedly detailed investigations.
Whether he is questioning football trophies or wondering if anyone has ever watched a coconut tree grow, his fascination lies in the overlooked details most people accept without thinking.
The comedian says: “I have always been obsessed with the mundane and the abstract.
“I have a fascination with the small intricacies of language and the world at large. I like ruminating on things and these ruminations sometimes take different tangents on stage.”
Those ideas rarely begin with a deliberate search for material. Instead, they emerge through curiosity and long stretches of reflection.
“I like to just sit and think about things. I sit and then I start talking to myself.
“And while doing that, if an idea becomes appealing to me and I feel like this is something I feel strongly about – like how birds fly, for example, I dig more into it.”
Although his routines often appear to wander in unexpected directions, he insists there is a clear structure underneath the apparent chaos.
The tangents are designed to return to a central idea, giving audiences a thread to follow even as the conversation expands into increasingly unusual territory.
He explained: “I still have a structure to the tangents. Like if I am talking about coconut trees and how they look, I’ll still try to circle back to the original idea to make it a whole bit.”
From Visual Storytelling to Stand-Up
Before becoming a comedian, Tarang Hardikar studied design and built a career as an animator.
That artistic background continues to shape the way he performs, with vivid imagery playing a key role in his storytelling.
He explains: “My background as an animator and designer comes from my interest in art and painting as a child.
“I was always a visual person and I think that influenced my comedy because I try to paint a picture of a scene that’s happening on stage.”
His latest show also reflects an evolution from earlier work.
While audiences may recognise the title LINE IS NOT A LINE, Tarang revealed that IF I’M NOT WRONG is the same project under a new name that better captures where the material ultimately landed.
He elaborates: “I started with that name because I was trying to think of a name for the show and I stared at my wall and there was a painting of Mitch Hedberg, which said ‘A Line Ain’t A Line’ and I felt that was something I would also say.
“It slowly developed into IF I’M NOT WRONG, which is about my childhood.”
The name change reflects a broader shift in focus.
What began as an abstract concept gradually became a more personal exploration of memory, identity and the logic that underpins Tarang’s way of seeing the world.
Stepping onto Edinburgh’s Biggest Stage
Tarang Hardikar arrives at the Fringe after being named one of four Rising Stars at the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival by The Age, recognition that has raised expectations ahead of his Edinburgh debut.
He sees the accolade as motivation to keep improving the show throughout the festival.
Tarang says:
He said: “It was definitely a big thing and I hope I can live up to it.
“I intend to go to the Fringe with utmost preparation for the show and with an aim to transform the show into something more beautiful by the end.”
IF I’M NOT WRONG also forms part of Soho Theatre’s Edinburgh Fringe programme, placing Tarang alongside many established names in international comedy.
For a first Fringe appearance, he sees that as both recognition and an opportunity to learn from fellow performers.
“It’s amazing to be part of that roster. It’s all big names in comedy and it means a lot that I’m being put alongside them.”
“I am going to watch a lot of the shows this year to get more inspiration.”
With IF I’M NOT WRONG, Tarang Hardikar is bringing a deeply personal yet widely relatable perspective to one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals.
The show reflects his journey from questioning the world around him to finding humour and understanding within those observations.
As he prepares to join Soho Theatre’s Edinburgh Fringe 2026 programme, audiences can experience Tarang Hardikar: IF I’M NOT WRONG at the Edinburgh Fringe from August 5 – 30, 2026.
Loading ...