A racket called Vir

 

 

If it takes genius to create comedy, and madness to fuel genius, how much of Vir Das is pure madness?

I don’t know if it takes genius to create comedy. I think it just takes suffering, insomnia, alcohol and extended periods of celibacy. As far as my own personal madness goes, it’s only when I’m on stage; the only area of my life where I am completely fearless…

There are countless comics around…What's Vir Das’ USP? How are you different from say, Russell Peters, Dave Chappelle, or even Jim Carrey in his heyday...?

I think my USP is how little my act really is. I don’t do race, I don’t do topical, I don’t do political. I simply do observational. My act is all about the little things in life that you never ever imagined would be funny by virtue of how mundane they are. That’s what is interesting to me – to make comedy out of what is popularly considered ‘insignificant’. Plus what really sets me apart from the other PROs – they seem to have money.

How different is Vir Das, the man, from Vir Das, the performer?

They could not be more different. Vir Das, the performer, is outgoing, fearless, witty and edgy. Vir Das, the man, is introverted, shy, a homebody and socially retarded.

Which part of the world would you want be reborn in?

Somewhere Angelina Jolie schedules her adoptions.

Who is your favorite stand-up comedian?

Bill Cosby. Never has there been an observational comic like Cosby in his early years. Took the littlest things and made them funny. ‘Made soup out of rocks’.

Which daily routine of yours would you wish to outsource?

Hmmm…shaving. I have never understood why men do it. Covering your entire face in foam, looking like Santa Claus and then transforming yourself into a plucked chicken. If you were to pull your own leg, what would you say?

I’m 5ft 9inches. I would rather pull both of them, try and stretch those buggers a bit.

What time in the day are you serious?

The five minutes before I go to sleep. I pray.

Five easy steps to becoming the best brown stand-up comedian in the world…

1. Become brown.

2. Don’t try and be funny.

3. Be truthful.

4. Have no fear.

5. Never forget that you have the best job in the world.

How do you switch modes between being an actor and a comedian?

It’s not that tough really. I trained as an actor for five years. It was the flaky serious body work, voice work, Stanislavski, Shakespeare, Chekhov five-year training that pushed me into stand up in the first place. It was my rebellion. Now that I am acting again, it’s like coming back to an old girlfriend. You never really got over her. Your next venture is “Delhi Belly”. How did you land such a ‘meaty’ role in an Aamir Khan production? I like the sound of that ‘Meaty Role’… Makes me sound like part thespian, part male stripper, part something you get at a Bandra bakery. I auditioned like everyone else in the industry. I think six times over an entire year. It is however not my next venture; I have completed it. I am now starting my movie with YRF (Yash Raj Films).

How was your experience working with our favorite chocolate boy, Imran Khan?

I was shocked by how chocolaty he is. I honestly think that Imran is chocolateier than a coco bean shoved into dairy milk grated into a tub of nutella that is smeared all over a bar of bournville and battered with a toblerone while being suggestively poked with a crunchie. Heh heh, he is going to kill me. In all honesty, we had a good time. Imran, Kunal and I had more fun than should legally be allowed on a movie set.

You crack jokes on yourself… Do you consider that your edge?

Absolutely! The way I see it, I get to travel the world, stay in the best hotels, eat the best food, talk to the prettiest girls, and earn a lot of money for basically being a clown and a wiseass. It’s severe luxury in exchange for severe misbehaviour. It would be incredibly selfish if I didn’t take some of the heat myself.

Ok now seriously, say something funny...

I love interviews. I think that journalism in this country has taken on a wonderfully transparent and non-sensationalist route leading to the imparting of information in a gloriously unbiased manner.