Stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker Vir Das is back in the news for various reasons. His last release, The Bubble, directed by Judd Apatow may have received mixed reviews, but it has once again ensured Vir is on the right track. The actor has signed on to a new show with Fox Studios and CBS, and has directed and shot another for a streaming platform in India.
“The Bubble was the second most-watched film on Netflix worldwide. It felt fantastic,” says the actor. He recollects shooting with the likes of Judd Apatow, Pedro Pascal, and Iris Apatow. “It was a great experience to have worked with the cast. I had auditioned for a role in something else that Judd was doing. He called me and said, ‘I think you are very funny, just come in and be in this movie and we will make it up as we go along.’ He is a very improvisational director. He spent a few weeks talking about my character and literally everything you see on screen was improvised,” he reveals.
While Vir has been slowly making strides in Hollywood, it is his comedy that has literally taken him places. The pandemic and the lockdowns had put his tours on hold. But now, the comedian is back with his show 'Wanted' and has already finished the India leg of the tour. “I spent the pandemic shooting back-to-back projects. I hadn’t toured in two-and-a-half years, so I felt it was time to rebuild my touring career. I am embarking on a 32-country world tour. Compared to my previous shows, Wanted is more personal. It is about carrying your identity across the world. It is also about how much you let the world affect you, and how much you want to affect the world. This is the best way to describe it,” he says.
However, the biggest drop from Vir this year was his beer label ‘Faaaakit!’ The 42-year-old released an ad on his Twitter account that spoke about how his label is his answer to the beer culture in India. “You have beer nazis, just like you have grammar nazis and wine nazis. All these people take things way too seriously and kind of ruin the drinking experience. So this beer goes against those people,” he says in jest.
Though he is back on tour, Vir has something exciting coming up. “It is a series that is an equal mix of comedy and tragedy. As much as it will make you laugh, it will make you sad too. I shot, directed, and starred in it. The series will be out in the next three months. I will also be playing the lead in an American movie early next year,” he signs off.