'Can't label, I'm a work in progress'

He tickles our funny bone as much as our grey cells. Vir Das, who has elevated comedy to an exceptional art form, recently won an Emmy International for his Netflix show ‘Vir Das Landing’. He talks to Nonika Singh:

Do you think your Emmy win is a vindication which will silence your critics?

No, it is validation for talent, for comedy, for audiences watching the content and for comedy producers.

Do you see yourself as a social commentator disguised as a comic or vice versa?

As far as possible, I try not to see myself. If there is a mirror, I will walk in the opposite direction. I am not too quick to label myself. I am a work in progress.

But you do see others!

The essence of a comedian is noticing the same things which others do, only writing about it differently. At the end of the day, all stand-ups are essentially talking about the same things — flights, going to the gym, partners, love, rejections, heartbreak and more. But what is your particular take on it defines your comedic voice.

How much preparation goes into making your shows?

Stand-up is more a written art form than performative. Yes, it is so designed as to appear on the spur, impromptu. But there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes and I owe it to people who pay exorbitant ticket prices for the shows.

Is it true that Johnny Lever is one of your inspirations?

He is a masterclass in stand-up. From pure craft perspective, he’s a magician at work. And just as a heavy metal musician would still love a violin solo, I love a Johnny Lever show. We are from the same art form.

Stand-up comedy has come a long way in India. Is it getting enough attention?

The day journalists stop asking me that question will perhaps be that moment. But yes, with each year, it is getting better.

Do you think Indians cry easily but do not laugh easily or appreciate irreverent humour?

Indians have a wonderful sense of humour and I don’t subscribe to any notion to the contrary.

The entertainment landscape is changing and stand-up comedy is an integral part of it. Do you feel the youth are driving the dynamics?

Absolutely. More than any other art form, music and comedy probably have the youngest audience. The fan base of an average comedian, mine included, is very young. And they sort of form a counter culture which I believe represents quicker evolution to mainstream culture.

How do you recover when a joke falls flat?

Look, you must have enough jokes in your arsenal. It’s like cooking live, you move to the next. You also have to be prepared for the fact that some will not make a connection. Among my audiences, which range from 1,500 to 7,000, one section may not like a particular joke. You have to play the law of averages.

Have you become less audacious after the backlash to the ‘Two Indias’ video?

Do you think so? See, it’s my business to make people laugh. To make them forget their worries, I will do whatever it takes. The promise I live up to is that I will always give it my 600 per cent.

What would be your advice to those aspiring to enter the comedy space?

In the first 30 seconds of the show, make your audiences feel, ‘I know this guy.’ If you can bare yourself, put yourself up out there in that brief moment, you will find a deeper connection for the rest of the 90 minutes. Of course, it’s not easy to master this, I am still trying.

In your show, you say, ‘Hate is to be yelled at and love has to be felt.’ Are you feeling a lot of love coming your way?

Indeed, but it has nothing to do with my Emmy win. The fact that people are ready to book my show within minutes of its announcement for fear of losing out, change their plans to be there and ultimately laugh their hearts out, all this is what I equate with love indeed.

You have been part of films like ‘Delhi Belly’ and ‘Go Goa Gone’. Has cinema been unfair?

You can say that if you value stardom. But if you think talent is important, hopefully, all my work will have artistry. I have wrapped up an Amazon series ‘Call Me Bae’ and two movies. I agree that Indian cinema can do with more comedies for it’s the most consumable genre.

When did you discover you had a gift of gab?

After umpteen rejections and bottles of vodka, anyone would. Seriously, perhaps, my teachers woke up to it. When they realised this kid just won’t shut up, they put me on the stage.

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