In recent years, comedy has become a way to protest against mistakes, speak your mind about the problems that plague us, and also find a breather in the midst of fast-paced lifestyle. It has become something intangible when it comes to solving problems and raising your voice. Over the years, comedy has lost its safety net of presenting hard facts under the guise of a joke. When the audience began to protest offensive speech and find fault with a comedian's piece, that comedian's career and life were well made. In India and abroad, there have been cases where a particular comedian faced a lot of backlash for something he said, with a large section of the audience finding out that it hurt their feelings. The intersection of comedy and politics brought many dangers for comedians and also provided a theme for free speech discourse. Vir Das is one of the most celebrated comedians out there. Throughout his career as a comedian, he has made quite a few revealing statements that have often not gone down well with a certain section of society. In 2021, Vir Das made the infamous comment, "I come from two Indias," and later gave references to it. This comment sparked riots both online and in real life. The nation was divided by his monologue, and Vir Das faced a severe backlash from Indians, both at home and abroad. A year later, the comedian is back and has a lot to say about his work and his struggles over the past year.
Vir Das has released his new stand-up special, "Landing," on Netflix. The show begins with the song "I'm in Mumbai, waiting for a miracle" by Raghu Dixit. The song sets the tone for Vir Das's upcoming performance for the next hour as he jumps between his time in India and the United States. The song's title is also the chorus of the song and shows Vir Das's hope for a miracle after the November 2021 outbreak. In this special, he made jokes about his formative years in India. He jumped at various points in his life to deliver a set on his journey thus far. As he did so, he also commented on how last year's piece of him brought trouble, uncertainty and fear for his life and his family's. He pulled out the negative comments and presented his side of the story. At the start of his stage, he spreads a handful of beach sand over a certain section of the stage, but gives no explanation. The stage, as we can see, is divided into two sections: one covered with white sand and the other with a black panel. Vir Das moves back and forth between the sectioned panels.
Director: Vir Das
Writer: Vir Das
Star: Vir Das
Vir Das touches on conversation topics that have changed over the years between generations. He also talks about how an Indian upbringing also changes certain conceptions. He jokes about how American and Indian reactions to death threats are tangentially different. He borders on somewhat controversial topics like talking about the Trump family and even makes some awkward jokes about sex, slavery and being an Indian abroad.
It is not until the end that the audience discovers why he has poured sand on the stage and why there are two sectioned panels. He boldly announces that after the 2021 incident, he has started carrying a handful of sand from Juhu Beach in Mumbai. When he performs outside of India, he spreads that sand on the stage and talks about his country so that no one can ever tell him again that he badmouthed his country on foreign soil. This gesture by Das is a message to his detractors and to everyone in general that he will continue to talk about the things that bother him about his country and that he, as a comedian, will not stop doing what he does because of threats. Vir Das's “Landing” was his highly anticipated comeback and landed directly in the hearts of his fans and supporters once again. He ends his article by explaining the difference between a nationalist and a patriot and making his point clearly to point out which category he belongs to.
Das's “Landing” elicits a few laughs throughout its hour and six minute course. There are ebbs and flows in the piece as he touches on certain sensitive issues and expresses his opinion on them. Das's habit of poking where it hurts is not lost, despite the backlash he faced. His comedic style is provocative for some and exciting for others. It depends on which side the consumer wants to be on. Vir Das makes some fair points that hit the mark. He also proclaims that he regretted his career after the 2021 incident and that he no longer has a stable career to fall back on. This experience has been true for certain comedians in India: a bold statement made here and a police complaint made there.
Comments
Post a Comment