Vir Das may have done some questionable things in his life. However, alleged ‘sex comedies’ such as Mastizaade aside, he is one of the most popular and arguably one of the most intelligent comics in the Indian standup scene. Vir Das: For India premiered on Republic Day. This standup special is more of a relaxed, sit-down special with the man having an expansive chat about all things Indian… with Indians and some non-Indians. I watched the special the day it released – and recommend it for the following reasons:
The foreigners in the audience are lit up in red; desis are a generic yellow because let’s face it, those guys pay in dollars. So when the Das offers context for something the firangs may be unfamiliar with – such as the ferocious potency of Old Monk rum – a portion of the audience is lit up like this.
Early on in the show, he takes up a pet peeve – chyawanprash – that bilious ‘tonic’ forced down millions of hapless Indian throats. He then speaks about the racism Indians were subjected to at the hands of our colonial masters as well as our own deep-seated colourism which we try to blame upon those same colonial masters.
Das speaks about national obsessions such as Parle G. He also speaks about the obscurantism and chauvinism that has invaded our national grammar; the conviction that any modern marvel was already mentioned in the Vedas – without actually reading said Vedas.
He mentions things that most Indians grew up with: Tinkle, the Indian Jungle Book TV series, as well as some things that Indian adults cannot do without, such certain national publications (which he cannot name; lest he be sued). He goes on to gently lampoon our pliant media and the proliferation of fake news.
He makes a bit of fun of the American national anthem to give a subtle thumbs up to Jana Gana Mana and then meanders on to the racism that Indians encounter when abroad. Over the course of the 75 minutes or show, he touches briefly upon mandir and masjid. He also talks about punching babies; trust me that shit is funny. Dark, but funny.
That peculiarly Indian expectation; respect for elders also finds mention; as does the ubiquitous Indian uncle with his prejudices; particularly his homophobia. This is a wide ranging show; touching on a multitude of issues that impact our lives: terror, tea, biscuits, history, monuments, the Ambanis and much more.
He speaks about Tom Alter and about Priyanka Chopra and then goes on to speak some more about British oppression as well as our freedom struggle and even the gains of the LGBTQ community. He manages to speak about events that are a permanent national wound such as 26/11, and yet manages to inspire hope.
It may be a brand tagline, but it applies to Vir Das. He cleverly weaves together the sacred and the profane. He uses wit to make some telling points about things Indians are justifiably proud of as well as the many flaws that we should introspect about. The production values are high and the content is top notch. Take a bow, Vir Das: For India.
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