Vir Das is a story of several firsts. From being the first Indian comedian to have a Netflix special to being the only Indian comedian to have his fourth one Vir Das: Landing streaming on the platform—he’s become one of the most desired Indian globally, after Priyanka Chopra.
Credit to his brand of comedy that transcends borders, he’s been able to tickle the funny bones across geographies. Coupled with his multicultural background of being born in India, raised in Africa, schooled in the US, and again coming home to join Bollywood—it has enhanced his understanding of the diverse diaspora.
His style of comedy veers from witty takes on politics (Vir Das: For India) and taking a dig at the ‘isms’ in racism, chauvinism, and nationalism (Vir Das: Abroad Understanding) with a discern tone to using slapstick humour to break away from his bag of intelligent jokes. He’s a man armed with a sharp knowledge of his socio-political and cultural milieu.
That empowers him to spell out the truth that is sometimes off-putting but is never bogus. He does court controversy with his acts (I come from Two Indias) but the same monologue rewards him with an Emmy nomination for his truthfulness as an artiste. While criticism or outrage might be a bugbear for the 43-year-old artiste, he’s convinced to make people laugh and carry his country with pride wherever he travels.
That forms the intent of his latest Netflix special where he puts out a laudable, laughable act of an Indian’s observation in many far-away lands. The act is a profound assertion of his identity as an Indian at home and an outsider in a foreign country—who observes harsh truths and translates them into acts of comedy. We speak to the actor-comedian-musician who talks about his multicultural appeal, vision for comedy and more. Excerpts:
How does it feel to be a global Indian?
Knowing that feeling, one has to give credit to Priyanka Chopra first. She is possibly the most global Indian. But yeah, it feels great to be in the list. If you put me in the room with all the comedians that have got many Netflix specials, I would rather ask for their autograph (laughs).
What was the intent behind the show Vir Das: Landing?
The central feeling attached to it is coming home after travelling the world. Metaphorically, it is about a flight landing home in Mumbai. The show is about the feeling of being at other places while also carrying India with you and what it means to be truly a global citizen.
These are some of the broad themes of the show. It’s been written on the roads when I went to 25 countries this year and did about 183 shows. It’s about what you are really thinking about when you are in a foreign country like France or Australia where while observing the surroundings—there are little snippets from childhood or from your home that cross your mind. So it’s about that kind of nostalgia.
Apart from that, I have also tried to encapsulate global themes like cancel culture, politics, the influence of social media, how the world is becoming more unsafe, and more in the show.
You were exposed to a different cultural milieu. Did that culminate in this show?
I think it has. I feel I belong everywhere yet nowhere. I kind of live a life as a perpetual outsider and this show is about embracing that ‘being an outsider’ feeling.
It takes you a while, a little bit of craft and confidence to finally say at the end of it that okay, maybe I don’t belong to any one particular place but this is the country that I love and this is who I am… and I am going to do more of this. So you’re not trying to fit in anywhere. In a way, being an outsider to various surroundings has given me that comedic perspective.
So when you say you carry the country with you, what’s your idea of Indianness?
I feel there is a part of the Indian perspective that is truly global. Every big comedy market has local palatable versions of Indian content. There is an American Indian, a British Indian, and so on… and those are well-established points of view.
But there isn’t somebody who is representing the 1.3 billion, going out and talking to them about their own country. So with this show, I want to say that what I am doing is not an immigrant’s story. I am not looking to fit in your (foreign) country, but this is what I think about your country and my perspective is valid.
How has the comedy industry evolved?
Comedy has become a valid alternative to various sources of entertainment that have existed in our country. Earlier, if you had a certain amount of money, you would like to go for a music concert or a movie, but now people are prioritising comedy shows. Recently, I read a report that showed how Indians spent more on comedy than buying IPL tickets this year. I mean who had ever thought that one could beat cricket, that too with comedy in India… but it’s happening (laughs)!
Why is comedy not treated as a nuanced art form like dance, music, or theatre?
I think it is because we are still in a nascent stage. Also, it has to do with what language you are doing comedy in. Hindi comedy in India is treated with a lot of nuances because it is far more intelligent and poetic if you do it well.
With me performing in English, I know there will be a certain kind of audience that I will never be able to tap into and I have to make peace with that. But we have a larger English-speaking audience in India than we have in America! So if you tell me that I get to only perform for 260 million people that will be an irony in itself (smiles).
How does our country perceive satire?
I feel that it’s being accepted more than ever. The audience is growing to be diverse. For instance, the Landing show has many dramatic moments and it can make you deeply uncomfortable at times. But today, we have an eclectic audience that’s accepting such shows. That was not the case earlier. In today’s time, the audience is growing and evolving.
So when your audience grows to a certain sizable amount and you have new people who are watching comedy for the first time, then there will be different kinds of reactions because it’s the first time they are exposed to this kind of art form. You have to welcome them and honour the fact that they are on board. So the reception for satire is far better today but is also varied.
Speaking of outrage, don’t you fear the consequences?
Yes, like any artist, I do! But I don’t think you can predict what is going to be controversial. That is not in my hands, so what I focus on is just doing my job with conviction. Having said that, your content may become controversial, but controversy should not become your content. These days, anything from a joke to wardrobe to a visual can offend anyone. The only thing you can do is to be focused on your craft.
What kind of jokes does the audience most relate to?
The ones about truth. Whether it’s about your chachaji (uncle) or a public figure like Elon Musk—if it reveals a truth—it will make people laugh.