Two extraordinary things happened to Indian comedian Vir Das on the same night last year: he was nominated for an Emmy (for best comedy) and he was accused of terrorism. His ‘crime’ was performing a monologue during his world tour in which he described India as a country where people ‘worship women during the day but gang rape them at night’. The backlash was ferocious, with Indian authorities accusing him of sedition and ‘defaming India on foreign soil’.

For most comedians, that would be the show right there. But Wanted barely skims the surface of that particular episode. Instead, Das uses his hour to more broadly examine notions of political freedom. ‘I’m too Indian for the west but too western for India,’ he says, neatly summing up his perpetual outsider status.

^{Pictures: Petra Bosanska}

Das effortlessly and often changes gear without a jolt, from the delights of Indian ‘bum spray’ to the narrow division between patriotism and nationalism, and he relishes the odd awkward moment, extrapolating comic capital from an occasional stunned silence. Not that there’s much of that in a show that’s full to the brim with big laughs. Throughout, Das is a sublimely assured comedian in full command of his material and the rapt audience around him.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 5.25pm.