First time in tour in three and a half years! How does that feel?
“I’m excited! I’m actually writing a lot of the show right now, so I’m in the process of transforming myself as a comedian. It’s quite a daunting prospect. It’s very exciting, I almost forgot how exciting it can be. Not every gig goes well, you know... You have to take the rough with the smooth. The reason why I’m touring again is that some of this is already written and some of it is just stuff I’ve told to friends. They gave me a little confidence. The process is basically write something and try it. You have to try it all out before you know it works. I’m just about to do Edinburgh in a very small club that’s off the beaten track. No one knows I’m there, it’s a great chance to try things out.


An underground Omid show!
“Yes, no one knows I’m there. You have to be a hardened Omid fan to seek me out. It will be hard work, trying things out, taking notes, writing new stuff. Always tweaking. Through these I’ll be able to work out an hour and twenty of minutes of gold. It’s also finding out what I want to say. The jokes are the steel structure but the message is the bricks. Part of the fun is seeing it fail, you have to smash it down again and rebuild. It’s such fun but highly stressful at times...


I read that you’d been teetering over the edge of oblivion.
That sounds scary. “You have to battle with yourself. That was a reference to me giving up stand up altogether from watching myself and not being happy He’s starred in movies, he’s had his own special on HBO, he’s mates with Whoopi Goldberg but he hasn’t been on tour in over three years! Chaat! rings up Omid Djalili as he prepares to hit the stage this autumn... with what I saw. I looked back and thought ‘why was I saying that?’ Looking back made me think I didn’t want to do it again. I almost didn’t believe it in any more. But when you hit the bottom you have to rise like a phoenix.


Definitely! I guess your acting took over from comedy for a while.
You could be our movie star curry lover of the month! “People seem to assume comedians can act! Luckily I’ve been given some good roles. The most serious one was playing Picasso in Modigliani with Andy Garcia. That was really exciting and made me want to act more. Then again, Sex And The City 2... You can’t really say no to that can you? The Infadel was great too because that role was written for me, as a producer I had some creative input which was incredibly exciting!”


Speaking of exciting, let’s talk curry! What’s your fave?
“I’m a big korma fan. It’s something about creamy coconut ingredients. A korma with a paratha and salad is my perfect dish. Or if I’m on the Atkins diet then scrap the paratha. It’s probably the most fattening one but I find it delicious! Swiftly followed by a rogan josh...


How about Iranian food, tell us more about that...
“They’re like curries without the spices! Well, just not hot spices, they’re more aromatic. I have to say I’m a kebab boy! I was raised on them. I think the fat gene was instilled in me at a very early age. I’ve craved fat since then! I love a good meaty kebab and all the rice and sides and everything that you’re probably not supposed to enjoy as much as I do.”


We know that feeling! Let’s talk Britain now, this is the British issue so what three things spring to mind when I say Britain to you?
“Kevin Keegan missing an open header in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The rain in Wimbledon and sausage mash and gravy!

Classic British elements. And where’s the best British place for curry?
“Leeds! Without a doubt. I’ve been to four or five restaurants in Leeds and they’ve all been incredible. A lot of comedians have given me that type of heads up before. Whenever I play there I’ve had curries that blow my mind! So Leeds is good for curry house and for good food in general? I’d say Newcastle is a big contender. Obviously London is always very reliable for variety!”

Of course. Finally... What can people expect from your new show?
“If you want to laugh and forget about your troubles then come along! You can feel romantic too you know? I have a record number of proposals after my show. I’ve heard at least a hundred stories of people proposing after my show which is an incredible compliment. I don’t know why but I seem to strike a romantic chord in people!”

Interview: Dave Jenkin
Omid’s Tour Of Duty runs from October to February 2012.
For full details visit http://www.omidnoagenda.com