[5] Bhaskar soon realised that he preferred comedy to marketing and joined forces with an old college friend, Nitin Sawhney, to start a musical comedy double act called The Secret Asians,[6] which they first performed in 1996 at the now-defunct Tom Allen Arts Centre in East London.

[citation needed] They also performed extensively at the Watermans Arts Centre with numerous other acts at a regular Asian comedy night called One Nation Under a Groove...Innit.

[citation needed] Their real break came when they were performing a show at the Ovalhouse in South London where, after a strong review in Time Out magazine by journalist and playwright Bonnie Greer, they were approached by Anil Gupta, the producer of what was to become the BBC sketch series Goodness Gracious Me.

[2] Bhaskar has starred in a number of British-produced films, including The Guru, Notting Hill (very briefly), and Anita and Me.

He wrote and starred in the ITV sitcom Mumbai Calling[8] and the UK tour of the hit American improv show Totally Looped.

[10] From 2015 until the present (season 5, 2023) he plays a lead role as DI Sunny Khan in cold case mystery series Unforgotten.

[16] On 26 July 2019 Bhaskar was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sussex in recognition of his ten years as chancellor.

In February 2009 Bhaskar and other entertainers wrote an open letter to The Times protesting against the trial of leaders of the Baháʼí Faith then being held in Iran.

[20] Before the 2010 general election Bhaskar was one of 48 celebrities who signed a letter warning against Conservative Party policy towards the BBC.