Omid Djalili

Omid Djalili banned from driving with no insurance

Omid Djalili, who stars in Moneysupermarket ads, has been banned from driving after being caught without insurance.

Omid Djalili apologies for Joleon Lescott tweets

Omid Djalili has been forced to apologise for offensive Tweets about Joleon Lescott. The British-Iranian performer branded the the England defender a 'Klingon' - apparently unaware his scarred forehead was caused when he was knocked down by a car and dragged along the road when he was aged just five.

Omid Djalili: my Saturday job

The first job I ever had was working for my dad, helping him out with some of his work as a translator...

The Infidel to be given Bollywood remake

David Baddiel and Omid Djalili's film The Infidel has been snapped up by Bollywood for a remake in Hindi.

Omid Djalili to star in Orton's 'What the Butler Saw'

Omid Djalili is to star in Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw in the West End.

Daniel Radcliffe joins Graham Norton tonight to discuss life after Harry Potter, and specifically his lead role in the horror film The Woman in Black, which went on general release today. There's also some light relief in the form of Anglo-Iranian comic Omid Djalili, and music from electro songsmiths Goldfrapp.

Interview: Omid Djalili

Omid Djalili is currently touring his newest show Tour of Duty. The Iranian funny-man, who has appeared in film and television on both sides of the pond, will be coming to York (19th January), Bradford (2oth) and Manchester (21st) in the next few days. James Harle managed to catch up with him in a free moment on the road. As it turned out, Djalili's tour so far hasn't been as relaxing as he'd hoped...

Before I start I should point out that I've never really been a huge fan of Lenny Henry, but I must admit that The One Lenny Henry wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. For me his stand-up was better than his sketches, particularly the material about film piracy and trying not to be funny when performing Othello.

However, most of the sketches were a bit dull, lacklustre in places and in several cases thought he was overshadowed by those alongside him; in particular Peter Serafinowicz and Omid Djalili.

On a final note, during the show Henry gave a short rant about obituaries, saying that when he dies his will probably read "Premier Inn Bloke Dies." I'd just like to say: "Whose fault is that exactly, Lenny?"

A close-to-the-bone, identity-swap tale, The Infidel sees Omid Djalili as Mahmud, a settled, non-practising Muslim family man whose life flips over when he discovers that not only was he adopted, but that his birth parents were orthodox Jews. The Infidel starts wonderfully, introducing us to a cast of carefully constructed stereotypes and then just as carefully it undermines them. David Baddiel's script is sharp, wise and very funny, and never flinches from exposing the hypocrisy and power games that fuel religious intolerance. But the film struggles to maintain this high standard; what began as a smart, challenging exercise in boundary pushing becomes just another sentimental life lesson.

David Baddiel's comedy about a Muslim man (played by charismatic comic Omid Djalili) who discovers he is Jewish and embarks on a quest that leads him into an unlikely friendship with a Jewish taxi driver (Richard Schiff). With cameos from the likes of Matt Lucas, Tracy-Anne Oberman and David Schneider, it's mildly amusing fare.