Vir Das: From Dishwasher to Emmy Winner - A Conversation With the Comedian on His Incredible Journey

Vir Das makes everyone laugh, but these days he can't stop grinning. The 44-year-old traveling stand-up comedian, actor, and soon-to-be director, who recently won an International Emmy for the Netflix special Vir Das: Landing, talked to t2oS about what it means to him and his fellow comedians, what keeps him grounded, and why he is excited about his new career as a filmmaker.

We are incredibly proud of you, Vir. Is the victory still feeling unreal?

We've had a great week. Many people have shown me great kindness. Even now, it still seems a little strange. additionally because I returned to work right away. I believe that no one has ever traveled from the International Emmys to Panchkula before, but that is the route I took. Saying, "Okay, I got back to work in the morning," was a pleasant feeling. So it's been great in that regard.

I take it you don't get much sleep?

Yes, I didn't get enough sleep. I slept for about seven hours last night, which is a lot better than I have had in a long time. I'm training for an acting project, which requires me to work out for at least two hours every day. And that has proven difficult. It's nice that yesterday was my first seven-hour day in a long time.

Is there any other way for you to function?

I haven't yet discovered a better method. I would only describe myself as a work in progress.

When I inquired about your first International Emmy evening, you said that all you could recall was that the salad tasted good and that you had to run to the restroom as soon as your category was announced. One would think the memories would be a little more prominent given that you prevailed this time.

Considering that Derry Girls is an amazing show, I had absolutely no expectation of winning. It's a fantastic comedy and a really good show. I had no idea what my chances were either, since every comedy special produced in Singapore, Japan, East Asia, India, and the rest of Asia and Pacific gets submitted. Every year, 300–400 shows and 50–70 specials are submitted. It's incredible that the show rose to the top of Asia Pacific and was nominated alongside some of the greatest fictional series, including Call My Agent. It's quite rare for a little comedy special to survive all those rounds, so that in and of itself is something to be thankful for. In that sense, you are a David in a room full of Goliaths.

Subsequently, they declared a tie, stating that two projects received the identical amount of votes from voters worldwide. Given that people watch content from all over the world, the International Emmys are a very complicated event. Actually, there are jurors from all over the world.

It is also highly democratic as a result.

Yes, that is nice to me. It was extremely unusual for two projects to receive the exact same amount of votes. And for the first time, I truly felt like I might have a chance. We love Vir Das: Landing and we voted for you, sitting in Brazil and Japan during those rounds, said a juror from Brazil and another from Japan that I met. You know, it makes me very happy that people watched an Indian story and supported you with their votes.

What does this victory signify for the entire field of stand-up comedy specials? Since this category did not specifically focus on stand-up comedy, it included all forms of humor.

I do, however, appreciate that they nominated stand-up comedy specials alongside other films, acknowledging them as legitimate forms of cinema. I'm hoping it broadens that viewpoint.

Filmmaking is ultimately what Vir Das: Landing is, just as it is what Tathastu (a film by fellow comic Zakir Khan) is. It would be wonderful if they received corresponding nominations in India.

You perform on stage practically every night. How did you feel while performing on the International Emmy stage?

To be completely honest, I can't remember what I said. Not a single memory of the speech at all. Two weeks prior to the award ceremony, while taking a shower, I had two or three random ideas about what I could say. And that's what ultimately surfaced. I was backstage in the kitchen area after winning, and I remember asking my management, "Did I thank my wife?" in a state of complete panic. And they responded, "Yes." And I thought, "Did I give Netflix and the Academy credit?" And they responded, "Yes." I was relieved to have nailed the big three.

It was a very, very good speech—brief and flowing.

You have thirty seconds. As a comedian, I've been trained to stay on schedule and follow the light.

Whose words of congratulations meant the most to you? You mentioned that many people who had never called you before called you after the victory.

I have received calls from at least ten numbers that are not saved on my phone in the last five days. And I stood at attention when the person on the other end said their name. I said, "Who is this?" and then, "Sir!" the next instant.

Anything that someone has told you has been incredibly bizarre and wild but also enjoyable?

The cartoon from Amul. I am a child of the 1990s, from Noida. You do not go into childhood believing that you will hoard Amul products. The most bizarre thing that has occurred since I started using the Internet is that.

That leads me nicely into my next inquiry. Do the little things in life—like having the Amul cartoon at the top of your social media profile and posing in front of a dishwasher with your International Emmy, since you used to wash dishes—keep you grounded while you embark on the incredible journey around the world that you have been on for the past few years?

My audience helps me stay in perspective. Attending a Vir Das show is always guaranteed to make you forget about your troubles. I am going to elevate you, the viewers. I also forfeit my right to have an ego in the process of attempting to fulfill that promise. In that way, the audience helps to keep me grounded.

I got to share a moment with my management when I took a picture next to a dishwasher station, and we were able to say, "Look, we did something together." I also got to tell my parents about the Amul experience. I am really proud of that particular moment.

Beyond the excitement and the fact that it's your first time, what does this victory mean to you personally and professionally?

To tell the truth with you, I have no idea what it will mean for my career. I'm not sure how any decisions I've made will affect my career. Therefore, I don't really think about that. It does, however, imply that I should take the artistic risk if I have a gut feeling that something about my artistic inclination is dangerous, novel, or unfamiliar to me and that feeling is frightening.

Vir Das: I took down the set for a film project I worked on called Landing. Really, there was no lighting at all. As such, there was no construction. We made an effort to build it around the soil's magical ability. Because the previous show was about culture and the world, it was simple to produce. But prior to Vir Das: Landing, I had never exposed myself so much. However, it turned out because I kind of trusted it. This means that the next time my instinct tells me to do something, I should act on it with all of my might.

When you were doing dishwashing in New York, what was your big dream?

merely to instruct. My dream job was to teach theater. Saying you were a dishwasher once is a fancy story, but I don't want to make my struggle into a fetish at any point. My visa was about to expire, and I wanted to stay in the US. To survive, I needed a job that would pay me in cash. My three jobs that paid well were as a dishwasher, security guard, and paint factory worker. That's my perspective on them. I wanted to teach and I wanted to get into a master's program at the time.

What prompted you to pursue comedy?

At the India Habitat Centre in Delhi, I performed my first-ever sold-out show on stage. Returning to a classroom after experiencing the stage as a professional and gaining the respect of your audience is extremely difficult. Following that, I enrolled in my PhD program, completed two months, and then left. I convinced myself that I could always pursue a PhD at a later time. That time has not yet arrived.

When did you realize for the first time that you were witty and could make people laugh?

Two categories of comics exist. There are people who can make a room laugh, and then there are losers and awkward idiots in the corner. And in the corner, I am the loser. However, upon further reflection, I seem to have been a comedian since I was five years old. I've been made to appear cynical on stage. Whether it was stand-up, music, drama, debate, or anything else, I've been run through it all. I enjoy "feeling" stage life.

Was it because you were extremely awkward and shy that you claimed to be the least popular student in the class?

I was extremely clumsy and shy, but my imagination was also way overactive. I was a typical distracted child, lost in daydreaming all the time.

So what happened after the first live performance? When you first started, stand-up comedy wasn't as well-liked as it is now.

We were a motley crew of individuals who sort of fell in love. I performed live on stage at the India Habitat Centre approximately every four to five months. At the age of 23–24, I hosted a food awards event in Mumbai, and the following morning, I was made into a VJ! I loved The Daily Show and wanted to do more news comedy, so I wasn't very good at that. I used a Handycam to record a pilot on my kitchen table, which I then sent to CNBC, where I was featured on the show. I performed an amateur night during that time. I came across Tanmay (Bhat), Aditi Mittal, Anu Menon, Gursimran Khamba, Ashish Shakya, Varun Thakur, and Neville (Shah) through this small business called Weirdass. I also came across Rohan Joshi.

Mumbai excels at identifying and promoting counterculture, whether it be indie or stand-up theater or music. We simply developed into this young, energetic counterculture, and Mumbai kind of carried us through.

Do you currently observe this support in other cities?

Being a stand-up comic now is a huge deal. It's a damn good time to be a comic, as a new one can post a reel and within a week get three million views and 200 tickets. Comedians now reserve every major theater that they would not touch with a 10-foot pole.

Nevertheless, the supposedly popular awards for stand-up comedians lack any popular awards or categories.

I will state, with all due tact, that it is a great compliment to refer to those awards as "popular."

At the height of your success, you are selling out the best performance venues on the planet. However, you went back to your roots during the pandemic, performing for roughly forty people in a Goa forest and hosting shows on Zoom. Do you not remember that?

Both the larger and smaller ones have their own space. The minor ones altered my voice, so I am thankful for them. My comic voice was significantly altered by Covid. During a Zoom call, I noticed that every person's box was the same size as mine. I had a glimpse into the lives of my audience.

Then, in the middle of a forest, I gathered forty people and we all ascended a hill to perform some stand-up. I didn't get to be performative in any of those situations. To connect with an audience, one must be incredibly genuine and real. And after spending the better part of a year and a half doing that, it becomes very difficult to return to being an overly projective or performative person. You know how much more visceral that connection is because you have tasted it. I learned a lot more from those little ones than from the major ones.

However, I would give anything to be able to avoid performing comedies on Zoom for the rest of my life! It's not very enjoyable and very difficult. Would I, however, go back to a forest and film another episode? Of course!

Along with your upcoming directorial debut, you have a ton of acting roles scheduled. What state of mind are you in right now?

Since comedy and acting are two opposing sides of the brain that require nourishment, I am content in this environment. Both filmmaking and acting are such beautiful collaborative art forms where you know you are not alone any longer and that many people are rooting for you, making you look good, and assisting you in creating something truly amazing. I've been performing comedy solo for a while, so I'm kind of excited to work with 300 people on a film set. It benefits your brain.

Are you excited to take the director's seat on set and make decisions?

It's a great deal of responsibility. It doesn't seem to me like calling the shots. A director is simply someone who gives competent individuals more authority. On that project, I will co-direct with my friend Kavi Shastri and I will also be in front of the camera. I have a support system in place, and we're just looking for the best candidates for the position.

I aspire to follow in Mel Brooks' footsteps professionally. He was the epitome of a stage performer, filmmaker, stand-up comedian, and writer.

After you returned to India, was there a victory celebration of any kind?

My wife won't let me leave work without inviting a few people over, so I've been at work. I therefore believe that we will undoubtedly do that at some point. I received champagne bottles from Netflix and another party when I was nominated. I said that I would open them if I won and left them on the bookcase. They're both still on the bookshelf when I return. We will pop those champagne bottles when I see my wife, who is currently managing a dog camp in Goa, in three days.

Have your dogs joined you in celebrating? I am aware of their significance to you.

I have been waiting impatiently for two days to see my dogs, who are currently in Goa. Nothing is quite as humbling as the love of a dog, even though I may not show them the Emmy because they will chew on it—big shiny toy, you know.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.