Vir Das

Vir Das Instagram – 7 years ago, this week. Abroad Understanding was hard to do, it ruined me in the best way. Had just crashed and burned in the film industry with a terrible movie, money was drying up, phone wasn’t ringing, felt like I was losing an audience that was ageing out of watching me. Mostly just hadn’t enjoyed any of the work I had done in a while, and felt like I wouldn’t watch any of it given a choice. The opportunity to do a special came my way. India’s first Netflix product. I had never put any standup online. Not even a YouTube video. Everyone told us to take whatever deal we got and do a regular special. We pitched a stadium and a club in two countries. Fuck it. Be audacious. It was the first time I felt authentic, and driven in a long time. I spent almost everything I was paid for it, on making it. My production budget was 95% of my pay-check. Very much had nothing to lose. It changed my life. I started touring the world, fell in love with standup again, and decided I would never again do something I wouldn’t want to watch myself. I found a massive young audience with no gatekeepers, no pretences, no PR, no expectations other than keep innovating. I’ve done specials since, tours since, lost it all been cancelled and had to build it back up one more time, the audience has grown as have the venues and hopefully the perspective and jokes….but you never forget the feeling of a first. The feeling of “If this doesn’t work I don’t know what happens next, I think I might be done, so fuck it, let’s leave everything out there”. I’ve felt that way about almost every project I’ve done since. Now that’s the stuff I gravitate towards. Hard to do, it’s all I want. Like I said, ruined. | Posted on 04/May/2024 08:12:44