Jassa Ahluwalia presents:

Both Not Half: The Paperback Launch

Wed 21 May 25 90 minutes
Thousands of copies sold and fresh off his Indian tour, Jassa Ahluwalia returns to Soho Theatre to celebrate the launch of BOTH NOT HALF in paperback.

Hosted by Eshaan Akbar, with audience Q&A, plus a book signing and street food by Curry On Naanstop!

‘This guy has better Punjabi than both of us and he’s only half Punjabi.’ Only. Half. I stared at those words. I felt diminished. I felt like I was being robbed of something essential to me.

For over twenty-five years, actor Jassa Ahluwalia described himself as ‘half Indian, half English’. His fluent Punjabi always prompted bewilderment and the world of casting taught him he wasn’t ‘the right kind of mixed-race’.

Feeling caught between two worlds, Ahluwalia delves into the media we grew up consuming and the legacies of empire we have been taught. Is there anything to be learnt from Rudyard Kipling? Why were movie stars urged to hide their mixed identities? To what extent did colonialism encourage or hinder mixed marriages? Is nationalism outdated? How can the politics of class and queer liberation inform our understanding of mixed identity?

Both Not Half is a rallying cry for a new and inclusive future. It’s a journey of self-discovery that unearths the historical roots of modern mixed identity as we know it, striving to deconstruct the binaries we have inherited and the narratives we passively accept. Part-memoir, part-manifesto: this is a campaign for belonging in a divided world.

Ticketholders to this event will receive 50% off on all food offers by Curry On Naanstop at Soho Theatre Bar. Valid for one night only. 

Tickets and show dates

Get a cheaper deal with membership

Become a Soho Theatre Member for £60 a year and get priority booking and discounts on a whole range of shows.

Reserved seating

Discounts may be available on top prices for students, seniors, unwaged.

Access tickets available by registering with us. Find out more on the Access page, or login if you are registered already.

Prices inclusive of a restoration levy and booking fee. These are £1.50 each for Soho Theatre Dean Street and £2.00 each for Soho Theatre Walthamstow. This will show as a commission (cmsn) in the booking process.
Wed 21 May 7.00 pm
Standing Band A Band B
Full price Sold out £20.00 £19.00
Members Sold out £16.60 £15.80
Book now