# Asian Provocateur > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Asian_Provocateur > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Asian_Provocateur.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Provocateur > Source revision: 1356737383 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British television series This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Asian Provocateur" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Asian Provocateur Genre Travel documentary, comedy Starring Romesh Ranganathan Country of origin United Kingdom Original language English No. of series 2 No. of episodes 12 Production Production locations Canada Mexico Sri Lanka United Kingdom United States Original release Network BBC Three Release 30 September 2015 (2015-09-30) – 16 November 2016 (2016-11-16) ***Asian Provocateur*** is a [British](/source/Television_in_the_United_Kingdom) comedy travel documentary television series shown on the [BBC](/source/BBC). In 2015, comedian [Romesh Ranganathan](/source/Romesh_Ranganathan) reluctantly travels to [Sri Lanka](/source/Sri_Lanka) after his mother, Shanthi, tells him that he is a "[coconut](/source/List_of_ethnic_slurs#C)"[a] and that he should meet his relatives who live there and learn about his parents' country—including its culture, religion, and language.[1][2] In 2016, a second series, *Mum's American Dream*, was broadcast on BBC one.[3] ## Series 1 (2015) ### Episode 1: Uncle Thiru - Air date 30 September Romesh is sent to receive a traditional blessing in [Kegalle](/source/Kegalle), which involves a chicken being rubbed on his head in a ceremony which is [black magic](/source/Black_magic) rather than [Hindu](/source/Hindu). Romesh meets a distant relative, Thiru, who wants Romesh to invest in his business making paper out of elephant dung. Romesh performs [rap](/source/Rap) in [Colombo](/source/Colombo) with local group MBZ, and is badly received by the group, who insult him. ### Episode 2: Uncle Ragu - Air date 7 October Romesh visits his Uncle Ragu, in [Batticaloa](/source/Batticaloa), and go to a village where many of their relatives live. They travel to [Kataragama](/source/Kataragama) to attend a religious festival. ### Episode 3: Uncle Rubaharan - Air date 14 October Romesh meets Shanthi's cousin Rubaharan. He introduces Romesh to the ancient martial art of [angapora](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angapora&action=edit&redlink=1); Romesh loses a fight against a 14-year-old boy. Romesh has an [Ayurvedic](/source/Ayurvedic) [enema](/source/Enema). He then visits a house which his mother owns and rents out to a religious sect. The tenants encourage him to carry out repairs on the house. He collects honey with [Veddas](/source/Vedda). ### Episode 4: Cousin Krishna - Air date 21 October Romesh meets his 12 year old cousin, Krishna, who is more intelligent, honest and mature than him. They teach at a school, work at a hotel and perform a [Kandyan dance](/source/Kandyan_dance). Romesh drives an [auto rickshaw](/source/Auto_rickshaw). ### Episode 5: King Kong - Air date 28 October Romesh is tasked with fulfilling a lifelong dream of his mother by performing in a Tamil [soap opera](/source/Soap_opera). He does not manage to be hired to act, so he makes a film himself with Ragu, having hired the cast (including [King Kong](/source/King_Kong_(actor))) themselves. ### Episode 6: Shanthi's Return - Air date 4 November Shanthi heads out to Sri Lanka so see what Romesh has learnt and becomes furious when she realises he has been lying a lot. They go to his aunt's [matchmaking](/source/Matchmaking) service and try to find a date for an actor whom the agency have been unable to find a date for. They appear in a [music video](/source/Music_video) with MBZ. ## Series 2 (2016) ### Episode 1: Cousin Pratheep - Air date 12 October Romesh and Shanthi meet cousin Pratheep in [Tampa](/source/Tampa), [Florida](/source/Florida). He fails in his attempt to put her into a retirement community for the week, before letting her share his hotel room. Romesh competes in an [eating contest](/source/Eating_contest), before quitting. He joins a group of locals who are into [monster trucks](/source/Monster_truck) and firing guns. He then takes part in a frat party initiation, before joining a [gospel choir](/source/Gospel_choir). ### Episode 2: The Family Reunion - Air date 19 October Romesh and Shanthi go to [Toronto](/source/Toronto), Canada for a family reunion. He and his seven-year-old cousin Shaun perform [breakdancing](/source/Breakdancing) at Shaun's primary school. Romesh invites Ragu, who arranges for him to be interviewed by online TV station, [Naked News](/source/Naked_News). They go a survival trip, in which Ragu surprises Romesh by having him [kidnapped](/source/Kidnap). Romesh takes Shanthi to a [glacier](/source/Glacier) to see the [Northern Lights](/source/Aurora), despite the fact that he knows there is no chance of seeing them due to cloud cover. ### Episode 3: Brother Dinesh - Air date 26 October Romesh and Shanthi tour the [Deep South](/source/Deep_South) with Romesh's younger brother, Dinesh and their uncle Guru. The brothers [wrestle](/source/Wrestling) in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans) and travel in an [RV](/source/RV) to [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi), where Dinesh fishes for [catfish](/source/Catfish). Romesh joins a group of male [cheerleaders](/source/Cheerleader) in [Alabama](/source/Alabama). Dinesh does a [sky dive](/source/Sky_dive). ### Episode 4: Cousin Krishna Returns - Air date 2 November Romesh hangs out with his cousin Krishna at a cowboy ranch in [Colorado](/source/Colorado), where Romesh does badly. Romesh helps administer medical treatment to an [alligator](/source/Alligator). They meet a vigilante who patrols a park alone in a [superhero](/source/Superhero) costume. They go a bowling alley where with Romesh's encouragement, Krishna approaches and talks to a girl. Krishna's mother Saroja disapproves, thinking it inappropriate. ### Episode 5: Uncle Ragu Returns - Air date 9 November Romesh tours Mexico with his uncle Ragu. They take part in a simulated illegal Mexico-US border crossing. They go to a 1980s-themed [nightclub](/source/Nightclub) in [Mexico City](/source/Mexico_City). They go to a [shaman](/source/Shaman) for a blessing ceremony. ### Episode 6: The De Silva Cousins - Air date 16 November In their final week, Romesh and Shanthi visit the De Silva cousins. Romesh is disappointed when a trip in a [lowrider](/source/Lowrider) turns into Shanthi's shopping trip. Romesh and Shanthi become [private detectives](/source/Private_detective) and meet a [drug dealer](/source/Drug_dealer); Romesh is disappointed when he finds out afterwards that it was faked and that Shanthi was aware of that all along. Romesh and Shanthi go to [San Diego Comic-Con](/source/San_Diego_Comic-Con). Romesh and Shanthi star in a [trailer](/source/Trailer_(promotion)) for a non-existent [superhero film](/source/Superhero_film). ## See also - *[The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan](/source/The_Misadventures_of_Romesh_Ranganathan)* ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** A brown person of South Asian descent that is perceived as fully assimilated into Western culture. May be offensive or used for comedic effect. See [list of ethnic slurs](/source/List_of_ethnic_slurs#C). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hale, Mike (23 August 2017). ["Review: In 'Asian Provocateur,' There's No Place as Scary as Home"](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/arts/television/review-asian-provocateur-sundancenow.html). *The New York Times*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bains, Raj (21 October 2015). ["Asian Provocateur: Romesh Ranganathan avoids travel TV cliches in his Sri Lankan journey"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/oct/21/asian-provocateur-romesh-ranganathan-travel-tv-sri-lanka). *the Guardian*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Romesh Ranganathan lands another series of Asian Provocateur](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a785277/romesh-ranganathan-lands-another-series-of-asian-provocateur/) ## External links - [*Asian Provocateur*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07zyh6k) at [BBC Online](/source/BBC_Online) - [*Asian Provocateur*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5060048/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Asian Provocateur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Provocateur) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Provocateur?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.