Revenge is a dish best-served cold, something that Vir Das truly enjoys plating for his trollers. Like any other artist in the industry, Das is accustomed to receiving unsolicited opinions about himself and his work. But such clutter of keyboard warriors never dimmed his light; the Emmy-winning comedian has the power to hold the audience with his words, you can say he lives for the applause more than the noise. The past few days have been a rollercoaster for the star; the stage where Das won his first Emmys last year called him back to take the spot as the host.
View this post on Instagram
When I connected with him over the phone, he shared his feelings, “I’m very grateful. It’s a big opportunity, something an Indian has never done before. The journey from nominee to winner to host is insane.” While the announcement is quite exciting and something his fans will cherish, the artist knows all eyes are going to be on him. “I have a job to do. I’ll celebrate once I get the job done right. Because there’s a fair amount of expectations, and I want to do a really good job. So, to me, it’s about the work at this point.”
Over the years, Das has done successful stand-up shows all around the world; his jokes have heard claps from California to New Delhi. If the star ever has to choose between stand-up comedy or acting, his first choice will always be the former without a doubt. And we’re glad with his choice. Look at his shows, for instance, which get sold out in less than 20 minutes, especially his latest edition of The Mind Fool tour in Mumbai. “There’s been a great response. I also think it has something to do with the fact that we did the entire tour in prominent cities but left out Mumbai as we wanted to shoot the special there. So, that may have little to do with it, which I’m very grateful for. I hope it doesn’t change anytime soon.”
Just like any other change, Das’ target audience is also witnessing a shift; the Gen Z gang is slowly entering his show. And Das seems to be pumped about how Gen Z perceives and consumes humour. “I’ve been waiting for them to show up for a while because this generation values authenticity above anything else. So, I like that. It’s brutal, honest, and authentic as opposed to being put on.”
In Call Me Bae, Das played a narcissistic journalist, Satyajit, who loved pointing fingers at others, which he might have seen happening to him once to twice by the media. To elaborate more, he adds, “I didn’t think of him as a villain. I saw him as a very conflicted character. He’s someone who has a troubled relationship with privilege. He resents it, but at the same time, he deeply craves it. So, he dislikes people in Prada, but he wants to wear Prada himself, which is quite an intriguing dynamic.”
View this post on Instagram
Throwing some more light on his character he adds, “The one thing I tried to do with Colin D’Cunha (the show’s director) was to make Satyajit a decent anchor. He’s very good at his job, which is why he has the number one show on television. We aimed to make him humorous off-camera and dead serious on-camera, which I think adds a bit more personality than you might get from a typical villain. This approach ensures he doesn’t come off like a YouTube sketch or a mere parody of a journalist.”
The show had some great META moments and cameos, but Das’ bookmark moment was Faye D’Souza’s part, “I think my favourite line of hers is: If you’re looking for real journalism, turn your TV off. It’s not on there.”
When Faye meets Bae 🙌@fayedsouza @ananyapandayy #CallMeBae
Incredible moment for Faye Fans. Good to see you on Screen 🎥 pic.twitter.com/TPigByynJg— Pooja Rathi (@poojadahiya1874) September 6, 2024
While Das played the villain this time, I had to ask him about his thoughts on being a lead in Chic-Flick, and his answer surely did not disappoint. “I just co-directed a film with one of my best friends, Kavi Shastri. Aamir (Khan) produced it, and I have a lead role with a romantic angle as well. It will still be a bit silly, though. I think whatever I do will have a touch of goofiness and fun, which is why it’s right for me.”
Didn’t cry about the Emmy. Saw this. Teared up. To come home to something like this, for someone like me.
Thank you 🙏 pic.twitter.com/sjwsDrs6Fn— Vir Das (@thevirdas) November 23, 2023
At this point in his career, nothing seems to rain on his parade, especially the trollers. Das knows what kind of opinion matters to him and what doesn’t. “I think if I’m going to take the freedom to talk about anybody and everybody, then they’re going to have the freedom to respond as well. But I believe that if you let them affect you, it’s almost unprofessional. Because it is your job to have a strong mind for the people who are going to pay to see you and watch you.”
