‘Comedians get more leeway than other artistes in India’

As part of his ‘The Boarding Das tour’, Vir Das has been tickling the funny bones of fans across the length and breadth of the sub-continent. He recently performed to a packed audience in the city. The content of his show ranged from social issues to daily happenings and beyond. However, does Vir find himself restrict in any way to joke about sensitive subjects in India, given the kind of freedom of expression his counterparts enjoy in the US? “I don’t necessarily do political jokes because there is a certain need to pass political commentary. It depends on whether the topic is personal at some level. And you can see that trend in my show Abroad Understanding,” says Vir, who lends an American style to topics rooted in contemporary Indian culture.

Of course, comedians in the US enjoy certain higher levels of freedom of expression, but I think that isn’t limited to stand-up alone. It’s part of a larger societal problem that is constantly in conflict. Whether it is films, journalists or writers. So, I compare myself to other artists in India rather than comedians abroad. And I think compared to other artistes, comedians have been given a little more leeway,” he adds. In Abroad Understanding, his Netflix special, Vir tackles the subjects of racism, social injustice, homophobia, religion, et al. 

He has a production banner Weirdass Comedy, which apart from producing live shows, ventured into content through developing scripts, concepts for award shows, brands and advertisements. And the comedian is now broadening his horizons. There’s Hasmukh, a thriller movie in which Vir will play a serial killer, and the second project is Happy Patel, a non-fiction web series. “The idea is to build me into an all-rounder content creator with focus on my acting, production, stand-up and writing,” adds Vir, who has been honoured with a doctorate for his achievements in performing arts by Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, where he studied.