Vir Das has got reasons to celebrate even during the coronavirus lockdown. His latest Netflix original – Hasmukh – is trending on the platform. Vir, who plays the title role and has also co-created, co-written and co-produced the series, says that they are happy with the series being in the top ten on Netflix. “We have worked very hard on it,” says the actor while promoting.
Hasmukh is a unique dark comedy about a comedian serial killer. Vir says that Hasmukh is quite a weird guy. “I knew that I wanted to make something that would get little outrageous and polar opposite to who I am. So, we came up with Hasmukh, a terrible comedian, who cannot tell good jokes on stage, but when he murders somebody, he gets certain josh and starts to go off-script. He starts talking about people he has murdered, and then it moves beyond jokes and turns into something else. That’s where the show evolves from,” he says.
He informs that he wrote the first episode four years ago and took it to Nikkhil Advani, who has co-created and co-produced the project.
It’s quite strange to see a man who makes others laugh, having a dark side to him. But Vir says, “It’s quite possible because everybody has a dark side to themselves. At the same time, I should make it clear that Hasmukh is not a real show at all. It’s unapologetically loud, surreal and outrageous. It’s doesn’t really reflect on anybody’s eternal darkness as such.”
Because he was involved in different departments, did that make his job as an actor challenging? Vir says that he had a lot of help. “Nikkhil was co-producing and co-creating, and we had six writers. So, I got to step away from the material after I was done with the third draft. After that, I took two months off and worked on the acting because it was important to get that right.
“Hasmukh is very different from who I am in real life and my image as a comedian,” says the actor who has worked on numerous original content -- Vir Das: For India, Losing it, Jestination Unknown and others.
In times like these, on every platform, the discussion revolves only around COVID-19. But getting inspiration for ideas isn’t difficult, he says, because comedians are used to creating comedy content out of horrible things around the world. “It becomes our responsibility at times like these,” he says.
He is also raising funds for different causes with his online show, Vir Das At Home. The funds will be contributed to fighting the coronavirus pandemic. He admits that keeping oneself happy and positive can get tedious in times like these. “It’s a challenge, but when people laugh, it looks like an easy thing. And there’s is no alternative. I have to make people laugh because that’s the only skill I have. The other thing that I can do is sit at home and not make people laugh. But I wouldn’t do that,” he adds.
When it comes to his inspirations, Vir says that it changes from week to week because he might enjoy watching a stand-up comedy and dark film at the same time. “Don’t think there is always tangible content, or you represent a certain kind of content. I have always been clear that I will do different things for different audiences, so the concept keeps changing,” he says.
He proudly flaunts the fact that Indian stand-up is at par with that around the world. “It’s not to be taken seriously or read too much into,” he adds.
It’s been two years, and we haven’t seen Vir in a Bollywood project. Citing his reasons, he says, “When my first Netflix original came out, I sensed that there’s an opportunity to be a real global comedian. I kind of fell in love with stand-up comedy again. I have spent the last two years, doing that. I knew that I had to come back to acting in a different way.
“Otherwise, I would be doing the same kind of work I have done in the last few years. So, I waited for Hasmukh to come out because it felt like a good comeback,” says the actor who has worked in Badmaash Company, Go Goa Gone, Revolver Rani, 31st October and others.