Vir Das: Learnt so much about India while writing show

Vir Das

How do you explain [the sensibility of] 1.3 billion people to six billion? That's the aim of the show," begins Vir Das about his next comedy special, Vir Das: For India. He describes his third offering for Netflix, after Abroad Understanding and Losing It, as a "love letter" to the country. The show - that drops online on January 26 - will see him decoding Indian customs and beliefs, and popular culture, laced with the satirical tinge that Das is known for.

"There's so much about India that needs to be said. This set had to be more innocent; it had to come from a place of lived-in knowledge," he explains.

Das reveals that he began developing the material months ago while travelling to different pockets of the country for Jestination Unknown. His observations regarding the local culture, norms and mores of society as he visited Patna, Lucknow and Leh formed the crux. "I always start collecting material and writing it even before the larger idea falls into place. The process for the special was to encapsulate the varied experiences I have had in my country. For my research, I had to talk to people, find out what they are watching, what they are talking about and what's keeping them up at night. I had a great time writing it because I learnt so much about India in the process."

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