On November 15, 2021, actor and comedian Vir Das released a video on YouTube, which went viral like a forest fire. And when I say viral, I mean ‘crazy viral.’ Within hours social media started blowing up. Even news channels started covering his video (of course, a random video of a random stand-up comedian is prime-time news for them). It didn’t take long before the entire country started talking about Vir Das and his latest video.
You might think, isn’t that the dream for any comedian? For their video to go viral? People sharing their viral videos with other people and talking about it?
Well, let’s roll back in time and find out what people were actually ‘talking’ about:
What did he do to receive such extreme reviews? He was performing at the grand stage of the Kennedy Centre (U.S.A), and towards the end of his show, he filmed a seven-minute long video and then later uploads it on YouTube titled, ‘I Come From Two Indias.’ Well in that video, he might have said some things that upset some of the ‘angry uncles’ upstairs. It was a political satire, but I guess they took it personally.
Some of these uncles with itchy chest hair called him a traitor, an anti-nationalist who defamed his motherland on foreign soil. Meanwhile, some other uncles with even itchier chest hair branded him as a terrorist. Well, I guess landing a joke (which honestly was factual truth in disguise) falls in the same category as landing airplanes into Twin Towers or the Pentagon.
Was The Issue ‘What’ He Said, Or ‘Where He Said?
Were the uncles really upset about ‘what’ he said? Or were they upset about ‘where’ he said? Should Vir Das have kept ‘Ghar ki baatein ghar pe hi?’ Should Vir Das have chosen not to become the harbinger of truth and instead do safe comedy around Bollywood and Boyfriends and Girlfriends? It seems to me that you have freedom of speech so long you don’t upset the uncles upstairs.
Social Media is many things, one of them being a primal hunting ground for hate speech. Vir had just become the latest victim for the masses, and a bait to divert the attention from important issues for the politicians.
He was accused of polarizing the nation. His family received dozens of death threats. Multiple lawsuits were filed against him. All brand deals, and producers, started pulling out and refused to work with him. All for what? For exposing the duality that exists in our nation? Well, let’s say that the ‘Two Indias’ that Vir Das is supposedly claiming in the video don’t exist. A few days later, the comedian receives an Emmy nomination for his stand-up Vir Das: For India. A proud moment for the nation, isn’t it? On one hand, people were accusing him of polarizing the country, and on the other, people were congratulating him for representing the same country at the Emmys. Is this not a true reflection of the ‘Two Indias’ that Vir was talking about? On one hand, people were praising him for bravely speaking out about the problems that exist in our country, while on the other, slandering him as the problem for calling out the problems. Is this not a true reflection of the ‘Two Indias’ that Vir was talking about?
‘Landing’ Landed Right Where It Needed To
His new special ‘Landing’ landed on Netflix on the 26th of December. Vir describes the months following his ‘Two Indias’ monologue release as the darkest phase of his life. In this special, he journeys us through that darkest phase of his. In my opinion, it is quite brave how one can claw out gold when they are lost in darkness.
The title of the show is indeed quite metaphorical. A year ago, his career was literally over. This special was never meant to ‘land’. But a year later, here he is, with a microphone in his hands, with his classical mix of wit and humor, with his desi swagger and his international vigor, traversing along the edges of ‘crossing the line’ making us uncomfortable, yet comfortable enough to remind us that if people of all castes, color, religion, nationalities are crossing that line together with you laughing, then there was no fucking line to begin with. Landing is much more than a stand-up set. It landed a thumping reminder on all the people who wrote his career off, and that he still has a microphone in his hands and will continue producing ‘unsafe content.’
Every stand-up comedian doesn’t have to be your cup of tea, because everyone has their own style of making people laugh. In my opinion, that is what makes these stand-up comedians stand out. Some of Landing’s jokes are immature, some are confusing, some are not funny (because they are meant to be bombs of truth), and a LARGE majority of them are so witty and funny that you can’t help but stop laughing. His material goes global, from his experience on the Air India flight and abortion rights in the U.S. to what it means to be a Mumbaikar. There are moments where he is brutally authentic and vulnerable, talking straight from his heart. These are the moments where we see Vir Das the person himself, not the actor nor the comic.
There’s an inherent theme that runs through the entire special, which I’d like you all to see for yourselves. Trust me; you won’t regret it. And towards the end of the special, everyone in the audience and us watching on Netflix lands home, alongside him.
Which Home do you ask?
Wherever you feel safe 🙂
All in all, it’s a solid one-hour watch that you can add to your watchlist these holidays 🙂
What were your views on Vir Das’s Landing? Let me know in the comments below!
And as always, thank you for going through my post 🙂
Love,
Jyothi Swaroop Makena.