In a time of rising self-censorship, the Emmy-winning comic experiments with a new form of storytelling and delivers the punchlines even when it gets uncomfortable
“It’s like nothing I’ve done before. And the viewing experience demands a little more of your attention than usual. It’s shot in three different countries. What that means is it takes a minute each to set up all three venues.. So I’m asking that you give it four minutes to kick in…” teased Emmy Award-winning comic Vir Das in an Instagram post a couple of days ago.
It has been a couple of years since his last special, Vir Das: Landing, streamed on Netflix, and anticipation has been steadily building up for his next one. He has courted a couple of controversies since then, earned an international Emmy award, appeared on Conan O’Brien’s Needs a Friend podcast and hosted the 52nd International Emmy Awards in 2024. Das has been keeping busy, to say the least.
Playing with the format
With Fool Volume, Das’s latest special which dropped on Netflix on Friday (July 18), he has done something rare. Stand-up comedy acts usually thrive on the relationship between the audience and the act on stage. There is an intimacy — even when a giant arena is packed to the rafters — of a shared experience, of laughter, discomfort and honesty.
When the comic leans in to utter a stage whisper, nine times out of ten, the audience too leans in, sharing a delectable secret. While a recorded special might not capture the same vibe, it still carries the feeling. In Fool Volume, written and directed by Das, he has shot the special across diverse and distinct venues: Mumbai, London, New York.
Also read: How Vir Das punches in the face of power in Emmy Award-winning show, ‘Landing’
The narrative switches between a church in London, a famous comedy club in New York and a stadium in Mumbai and we get to immerse ourselves in the ordeal that was Das losing his voice just before recording the biggest show of his career. Das is now not just experimenting with material, he is also playing with the format. His special is interspersed with videos and images of him from his life, and has him singing Tunak Tunak Tun… among other things.
Frankly, it takes some getting used to. The reverb of the high ceilings of the church in London, to the quietude of the Comedy Cellar in New York and the sonority of the massive Mumbai Stadium and the change in settings and the lighting. But 10-12 minutes into the show, you start enjoying the switch. It’s a welcome jolt, an added dosage of adrenaline.
The Indian flavour
And all this while, the jokes flow. Das’s usual razor-edged barbs and observation do not disappoint. He takes a dig at himself, being termed ‘not relatable’ as his English is ‘too good’. He then invokes the Kangana-Tharoor scale of English proficiency and we wonder where we will land on it.
There is a bit about Indian comedy not being ‘global’. But Das’s special, which traverses issues and themes like racism, gives them a unique Indian flavour and makes it truly relatable and international. Who says we don’t have racists in India? “Check your family WhatsApp Group, and if you can’t find one in the group, that means you are the racist in the group…” quips Das.
Das is the truly ‘Made in India’ standup that we need to get behind. His material is, and has always been, uniquely Indian. From SRK to ‘nazar’ to the Indian hand movements and dismissal of therapy to chugging turmeric for acid reflux, he remains tethered to the motherland. He is a true artist, who reframes them — with simple, but not patronising explainers for his global audience — and drives home the punchline.
Also read: Vir Das, on Mind Fool India Tour, proves why his comedy is fearless and unmissable
There is a stretch where the entire act is placed in darkness — the lights go out in the comedy cellar, the floodlights are switched out in the stadium and the church too is submerged in darkness with the lone Christmas tree being lit. He gives a heartfelt monologue about how most people will have an honest conversation when they are not put on the spot.
Into his own realm
“...Just make the noise you want to be remembered for.” And that’s a T-shirt worthy quote if there was ever one. The dark silence was ended by a robust ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ by an audience member and maybe, just maybe, God agreed to the T-shirt. This is the clarion call that perhaps the young comics of today can rally behind.
“Just make me laugh bro’, don’t make me think. Get someone to tickle you, you basic B+%$h, alright!”, says Das towards the end of the special. He has always steered his audience to think. He has been very clear about it. No matter the stage, the stakes or the FIRs. There is a reason that we don’t encounter reels of Das’s content with a million likes on social media.
His YouTube channel has 930K subscribers, whereas Anubhav Singh Bassi and Abhishek Upmanyu both have some 5 million plus each. Das is not competing with his peers, he has shaped his own realm of comedy. He peacefully coexists on the spectrum, along with the many ‘viral’ comics.
Fool Volume comes at a time when censorship is not just a state-imposed mechanism, it’s in-built into writers, comics and actors. A joke can land you in jail, or have your family harassed, or have an entire mob ransack a venue. One wonders what Das would do if he was not encumbered by the looming threats of backlash and vindication. “Do you know what I think freedom is? When you are not constantly thinking about whether you can speak …”. Das has spoken his truth.
