The “Unbelievable” tour is comedian and actor Vir Das’s most ambitious one so far, with 11 cities on the list and material that uses his own life as a kind of blueprint.
A funny show, with some brilliant moments; but in Delhi, while the show ran houseful, it didn’t have quite the same smooth sailing of Chandigarh and Kochi. An audience member took umbrage at an act of India’s former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, and police arrived at the venue after a complaint was lodged. In an open letter he posted on his official Facebook page, Das approaches the incident with both intelligence and humility. . “I feel like it’s a very personal show. Usually, what I do caters to a specific type of audience. For example, in history of India you have to be a certain type of person. But in this show the themes that are discussed are very much a journey through a life. Finding love losing love, first job, first kiss, losing virginity, being broke. being sick. So every can find something to relate to. I lie to you throughout the show too, and you as an audience member have to guess where I’m lying and where I’m telling you the truth. If you can catch me then I give your money back.” He has used his own life and journey as a canvas. “It’s just my life and a lot of lies. For me it’s also an opportunity to really make fun of myself. I spend 90 per cent of all my shows making fun of other people. So it’s nice to take one on the chin in show yourself.”
While the show ended on a slightly sour note, at pre-show Das in Delhi was upbeat, speaking on both the readiness of Indian audience for stand up and the idea of experimenting with his material.
Excerpts from an interview:
The number of stand-up artists is going up, but do you think we still have a long way to go in terms of both talent and content?
I think for me stand up is always going to be funny. Right now in the Indian market everybody is trying everything. It’s in a nascent stage. Eventually you’ll have to come back to being an artist and what you do as an artist. So it’ll become about the type of solo comedian that you are, and what content you represent.
There are three types of people in every art form. There are people who are just starting out, and I think these people are very honest to the art form. Then there are people who have established themselves as comedians — Russel Peters, Papa CJ, etc. Those people are very focussed at being comedians. And somewhere in the middle you try everything. This is what I did. I tried a band, I tried comedy, I tried sketch. That’s the place you are looking to get exposure, get your face out there as much as you can.
I’ll give you the example of AIB. Rohan, Khamba, Tanmay and Ashish are supremely talented comedians. Right now they have done a roast, and it’s gotten them so much good exposure that it’ll help their career as comedians. Eventually they will be able to get on stage and be very good solo artists.
We do have a long way to go as an audience though. Would you agree?
Yes, I would say that the artists are equally good in India, but the audience in some other countries are way ahead of us. As far as my own material is concerned, I feel like I’m happy to be called vulgar, edgy, offensive. I just won’t be called unintelligent. So if I do political jokes, if I talk about vaginas, whatever, if you are coming to my show, you can expect an intelligent context.
And also, ticket pricing has a lot to do with this. The biggest thing I keep reminding myself is that the front row tonight is 3500 bucks at 250 buck a movie ticket, is many movie tickets. So if some kid saved up to see me tonight, he or she may not be going out next week. I have to make sure that I was the right choice.
Are there issues you won’t make fun of? When it comes to your own material, do you draw a line?
Filth is easy, targeting politicians is easy. Targeting religion is very tough, in a manner that won’t offend. Stand up starts out as your intellectual compass and eventually becomes your moral compass. So after about five years as a comedian, you begin to think about would you like to hear that. I won’t do jokes about people who are sick, or the elderly. I try not to joke about those who can’t fight back. I draw a line, but that’s my own personal line and who’s to say if I’ve gone too far or not. If I second guess then I’ll go insane. All I can tell myself is that I’m an intelligent, moral human being and then assume that 90 per cent of the audience is on my wavelength. There are eight walkouts in every 1000 people show. Stand up is as much about listening as speaking.
And as a comedian, actor and musician, you are juggling three industries…
I’m an outsider who works inside three different industries. To Bollywood, I’m a stand-up comic/actor, to stand-up comics I’m an actor and to musicians I’m a comedian and an actor. My only involvement with each industry is the work. There is no social and emotional involvement. I think it’s the perfect equation to have. It gives you distance and there is mutual respect. The only thing they know you for is work, so the only time they will call is for work.
