Quirk Comedy Festival ft. Anirban Dasgupta at Theatre by QE2

Anirban Dasgupta Live in Dubai This Eid Break with His Special, Cry Daddy  

Anirban Dasgupta returns to Dubai this Eid break with his third stand-up special, Cry Daddy — a smart, immersive comedy show, fresh from its debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Cry Daddy explores two childhoods… with a twist.  

Now a new father navigating the chaotic second half of life, Anirban is rethinking the rules of adulthood and asking whether everything — from comedy to parenting — is actually just a game. Who’s winning? Who’s losing? And does anyone really know the score?

Cry Daddy unfolds like a live stand-up match played with the audience. Expect yellow cards, half-time pep talks, trash talking, shirt swapping, and jokes that are metaphorically scored as the show hurtles toward its final punchline. The audience isn’t just watching — they’re part of the action, debating outcomes as this comedy thriller goes right down to the wire.  

Kolkata-born and Mumbai-based, Anirban Dasgupta is a stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and former corporate salesman. He has performed extensively across India, internationally and his Amazon Prime Video special Take It Easy received wide acclaim, as did Afsos, the dark comedy series he created.  

The evening will be hosted and opened by Arpit Varshney — former Dubai radio jockey for seven years at leading radio stations, who quit a perfectly good mic and paycheck to move to India and suffer responsibly in the pursuit of stand-up comedy greatness. Sharp, self-aware, and just the right amount of unhinged, Arpit sets the tone before Anirban takes the field.