Stand-up comedy is my childhood sweetheart: Vir Das

It took stand-up comic Vir Das almost a year to finalise his role in the upcoming, much-anticipated Aamir Khan Productions and UTV Motion Pictures film Delhi Belly.

“After Akshat Verma (the Los Angeles-based writer of the film) saw some of my stage performances, he wanted me to audition for the role. But we kept going back and forth for almost a year. I would keep hearing news reports about some or the other actor bagging the role. But finally I auditioned with director Abhinay Deo and here I am!” he says.

The film also features an ensemble cast of young actors Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Poorna Jagannathan and Shenaz Treasurywala and has been in the news for its promotional song DK Bose. Vir plays Arup, a cartoonist at an ad agency, in the film, who’s going through a bad patch in his life and has to deal with a bad boss, a bitchy girlfriend and is an unhappy ball of anger. But in real life, Vir says he is far removed from his character and instead loves his job as a stand-up comic with laughter all around him.

Vir who’s also done an item number Jaa Chudail for Delhi Belly, choreographed by Farah Khan, says that post his dance number he has been flooded with performance requests from all over.

“I never knew the power of a Bollywood item song till now,” he laughs. The actor who has done his schooling and college education from Delhi’s south campus says that he often doubled up as a guide to good food in the Capital for his co-stars in the film. “I was in charge of the food entertainment during the shooting at Delhi and we covered almost all of Delhi’s famous hot spots of culinary delights,” he says.

Though Vir’s acting career has taken off in Bollywood (his next release is Tanuja Chandra’s Raakh with actress Raima Sen), his first love, he says remains the stage and the job of making people laugh. “Whatever I am today is an extension of my stand-up acts and I will never forget that. Stand-up comedy is my childhood sweetheart,” he emphasises, adding that he will continue with his stage shows as and when he finds time.