When it comes to making a joke, you can never be sure how it is going to land. And that is the reason comedian Vir Das has made a pact with himself to give a joke one try at least, instead of fretting about stroking controversy with it.
Ask him if people have started to take a joke too seriously, Das says, “We now live in a universe where I don’t think you can predict what is going to be controversial. It could be literally anything at this point — be it visual image, a joke or wardrobe choice”.
“It could be anything. God knows what will offend people. So if you try to pre-guess what is going to offend people, you are going to go insane. You get to tell every joke once at least now so see the reaction, and then decide whether to keep it or not. Phele joke bol toh do,” he adds, shrugging the idea of making a set with too much caution.
“I’ll try any joke once and then I’ll learn from the reaction,” he reveals.
Vir Das spent all of 2022 on the road, touring over 25 countries through 183 shows. And one of his shows in Bengaluru was cancelled, and he says these things happen.
“That was cancelled because of various organisations. We had done three shows in that theatre earlier. With the Wanted tour, we sold over 65,000 tickets in India…. I am very much able to perform in my own country. If you are going to perform for 65,000 people, kabhi kabhi toh issue aayega hai… That’s fine. You have to deal with that. That happens once a year,” he says.