BOLLYWOOD
Vir Das has a line-up of movies and shows on TV and the web
It’s cold!” are the first words Vir Das utters when he comes on the line to speak to us. The stand-up comedian, actor and musician, is stationed in Prague to shoot for the American TV show Whiskey Cavalier and it’s minus five degrees there. It might be freezing cold, but Vir is enjoying being the new guy on the sets. He tells us. “I’ve never done a mainstream network American show. It’s an action comedy about four people who are part of a team that saves the world every week. We get to wear suits and fire guns,” he says.
For someone whose phone had stopped ringing after the debacle called Mastizaade in 2016, Vir seems to be juggling a lot of balls in the air. Apart from the TV show, he’s writing and acting in a Hindi web series, and has three films including the sequel of Go Goa Gone. Moreover, his second Netflix special, Losing It, is all set to release tomorrow. “I’m always happiest when I’m over-busy,” he exclaims. “I have worked very hard to be this exhausted in life,” he adds.
The show’s about losing who you were as an individual and questioning all of your beliefs in life. It’s about waking up and realising that you don’t believe 90 per cent of the sh*t you used to believe — so re-questioning your perspective, religion, your politics, relationships, friendships, career, masculinity, feminism — all of it. I think it’s a point in life a lot of people can relate to, specially when they enter their 30s. It’s also a show where I, in a certain sense, lost my nationality as well because I took a year off to travel across the globe. I went to 33 different countries to write this show and it’s also about that — your Indian identity in the world today.
I think so. In the first one, I was trying to introduce myself to people and I had to talk about what they wanted to talk about. Now, it’s like a second date and I will say things I want to talk about. So, there are stories about me going bankrupt, falling sick, about being a dishonest child, being a compulsive liar etc.
No, I think a stand-up comedian is required to be a storyteller. There’s no point going there and making social statements you cannot weave within the quilt of a story, otherwise you’re just making a speech and not doing comedy.
(Cuts in) Yes, but I should clarify that I have only written the story with Nikkhil Advani. There’s a writer’s room of eight talented writers who have done the screenplay and dialogue. I took the idea of the show to Nikkhil two years ago and he’s directing it. I play Hasmukh, the title character. He’s a serial killer and it’s a nice range for me to go that way — the opposite of who I am.
With movies or acting, initially, you’re just trying to get your foot in the door, so you just do what is given to you. I don’t think you get to start experimenting till you have a fan base that is so sizeable that people can’t ignore it. There is an artistic intention to do these things, but it needs business viability.
It’s been about three or four months since I made any music. The plan is to make another Alien Chutney album by the middle of next year.
It’s natural to have them all together and the audiences overlap as well. We’ve always been overkeen to compartmentalise. What we are realising is that audiences are looking for variety from the same artiste. The same guy who is going to watch a Rohit Shetty film, will watch a Neerja and the same guy will watch a good series online. So, it’s possible to do different things and entertain viewers through the year.
Stranger Things season 5 teaser reveals episode titles, release date confirmed as...
Singer Rahul Vaidya buys 3110 sq ft luxury apartment worth Rs 90000000, it is located in...
Nimrat Kaur asks Abhishek Bachchan ‘would you distract Aaradhya’, he praises Aishwarya Rai in reply
JEE Advanced 2025: Candidates now allowed to give 3 attempts, check details inside
Watch: MS Dhoni's video of playing golf with Donald Trump goes viral after US Polls
Viral: Italy's Lake Como's 'fresh air' can being sold for Rs 907, details inside
Ranji Trophy: Jalaj Saxena scripts history, becomes first cricketer to achieve massive feat
Gautam Adani congratulates Donald Trump on winning US elections, says, 'If there is one person...'
Meet Usha Chilukuri, who is set to become first Indian-origin second lady of US, she is wife of...
Delhi NCR: Traffic advisory issued in Ghaziabad ahead of Chhath Puja 2024, check routes to avoid
ICC Test Rankings: Rishabh Pant breaks into top 10; Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma suffer massive loss
NASA's Sunita Williams witnesses 16 sunrises, sunsets daily in space, here’s how
'India will…': Ricky Ponting makes BOLD prediction for Border-Gavaskar Trophy
From DU to Tesla: Meet man who works for Elon Musk, manages his company's...
Essence of Leadership: Insights from Ankur Saini
Who is Thomas Draca? First Italian player to register for IPL 2025 mega auction
IPL 2025 mega auction: Full list of players with Rs 2 crore base price
Meet man who quit Paytm after Rs 2048 crore deal with Deepinder Goyal's Zomato, he is...
Anushka Sharma can't stop laughing seeing Virat Kohli's funny move in unseen viral video - Watch
SA vs IND: Arshdeep Singh aims to surpass Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s all-time T20I record
Donald Trump reclaims US presidency, netizens win hearts with meme-fest
'Everyone will come to know...': LoP Rahul Gandhi's BIG statement on caste census in Nagpur
Thama: Ayushmann Khurrana reveals all about 'bloody love story', says it is....
'History’s greatest comeback': Israel PM Netanyahu congratulates Donald Trump on US Election victory
US Election Results LIVE: Donald Trump's victory speech; WATCH HERE
Arjun Kapoor hits back at haters post Singham Again success: 'To everyone who...'
'Let's work for global peace': PM Modi congratulates 'friend' Donald Trump on winning US election
Swiggy's next BIG step, set to challenge Mukesh Ambani ahead of IPO, collects Rs...
Amid divorce rumours, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai set to reunite for...
J-K Assembly passes resolution seeking restoration of special status of erstwhile state
CAT Admit Card 2024 RELEASED: Step-by-step guide to download from iimcat.ac.in
Kiki Hakansson, the first ever Miss World, passes away at 95
This company surpasses Apple as world's biggest company, it's market cap is Rs...
IPL 2025: Mitchell Starc breaks his silence on not being retained by KKR, says, 'I still have not…'
J-K: Encounter breaks out between security forces, terrorists in Kupwara
‘Our relationship with US…’: EAM S Jaishankar on US Presidential Election 2024 Results
Delhi-NCR AQI: No relief from pollution, Delhi air quality remains 'very poor'
Dev Diwali 2024: Dates, significance, how to celebrate, everything you need to know
Israel PM Netanyahu fires Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over 'lack of trust'
Swiggy IPO opens today, aims to garner Rs 11327 crore: Check price band, lot size and more
Raftaar breaks silence on his feud with Honey Singh: 'Aapas mein toh kuch bhi ho sakta hai but...'
DNA TV Show: How US Presidential election results may impact the world
Sharda Sinha dies at 72: Who are there in her family?
Who was Sharda Sinha aka Bihar Kokila, famous for Chhath and Maine Pyar Kiya songs?
Mortal remains of Sharda Sinha being taken to Patna for last rites
Parliament's winter session to begin from Nov 25, to continue till Dec 20