Atharva Pharande

An Indian stand-up comedian based in London, known for sharp observational comedy, satire, and tightly written wordplay that draws from everyday life and the friction between cultures. He moved to the UK from India less than two years ago and started performing comedy shortly after arriving. In that time, he has built one of the most concentrated competition records currently operating on the London circuit, performing across India, Japan, the UK, Canada, France, and beyond.

On the competition circuit, he was one of five finalists in the BCG Pro Performance Award 2025 at the Museum of Comedy, British Comedy Guide's most prestigious industry-judged stand-up competition. He was also one of twelve finalists in the Bath New Act of the Year 2025, a competition that drew over 200 applications and was judged at The Old Theatre Royal, Bath by a panel of comedy industry professionals. He is a semi-finalist in both "So You Think You're Funny?", one of the UK's most prestigious new act competitions, running since 1981 and the "Spirit of Comedy," and an attributed finalist in the Stand Up Club's New Comedian Award and the British Comedian of the Year.

His gong show record is equally strong. He has won the Ding Dong Gong Show at Big Belly Comedy Club, Beat the Blackout at Up The Creek in Greenwich, and Beat the Frog Manchester. He was a finalist in King Gong at The Comedy Store. He has also won Bev's Comedy Best Comic Award at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Clap Back To Reality competition, and is a finalist in the Stand Up Club's New Comedian Award. Alongside comedy, he works as a copywriter.

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