Born as a boy from Dehradun India, he's hailed from USA’s finest Harvard University. An Economist, India’s current finest and funniest stand-up comedians are just a few things under Vir's belt. Vir Das has now moved to enter the world of the Bollywood Silver Screen, playing one of four friends in 'Badmaash Company'. Supriya Davda talks to the Badmaash actor.
Q. You're a successful stand-up comedian in India having done various shows with your company Weirdass Company, what’s the transition been like from standing in front of a live audience and shooting in front of a camera?
A. It’s a leap of faith. Not just because what I am playing in this movie is poles apart from anything you will see me do on stage. But also because it takes very long to get feedback. When I crack a joke on stage, I know within a millisecond whether it’s good or not. Here I have to wait for one year. That’s a leap of faith.
Q. Having studied in the US, how difficult was it for you to make a mark in India?
A. I just studied theatre there. I have honestly been an Indian with the luck of the Irish. I came down here to do one stand up show and the rest kind of fell into place. I don’t know how it happened. It just did. And I thank God every day. I still can’t believe that’s it’s all really happened.
Q. What is the film 'Badmaash Company' about?
A. It’s a wonderful story about four friends who bend the rules a little. It makes you wonder what you would do if all of your dreams came true, at a very young age, because you took shortcuts and broke the law. What would happen to your values? Your friends? Your youth?
Q. You play Chandu in the film, what’s your character like?
A. (Laughs) He is the most fun thing I have done in a while. He is a struggling actor who dreams of doing a movie with Madhuri Dixit. He is animated, innocent, funny, dark and occasionally perverted. In BC, the four characters dreams come true, I think Chandu’s dreams and fantasies come true here.
Q. How did you go about getting your look for Chandu in the film?
A. It really helped to get into that nineties groove. I had to grow the hair, change my walk, change my dialect, wear the tight jeans and just commit. It was like showing up each morning and slipping into another person, another physicality, another ethos. Very cool.
Q. What preparations did you undertake as an actor to prepare for your role?
A. I work a lot with the body up. The first thing I had to do was find his walk. It was hard to get, and took a while. Then after doing a complete character breakdown: motives, obstacles etc. I had to get into his voice. He has a very local Bombay lingo which I don’t being from Delhi. It took a lot of talking to people and practicing their dialect. Finally, it just meant finding his innocence and naivety; it meant blocking out all ones pessimisms and jadedness.
Q. 'Badmaash Company' has been heavily drawing comparisons to 'Bunty Aur Babli' are there any similarities?
A. They are both shot on 35mm. That’s about it.
Q. Have you received any formal training in acting?
A. I have a bachelors in theatre, and have acted like I was fond of various angry ex girlfriends. I think that was great training.
Q. What was it like working with the rest of the cast: Shahid, Anushka and Meiyang Chang?
A. It is like being on a 6-month vacation with 3 friends. We ate out, worked out, swam, acted, and went to battle together.
Q. Have all four of you got equal screen space in the film?
A. Hmmm…I think Anushka is about five feet taller than all the boys, so maybe she has the most screen space.
Q. Any badmaash stories on set you could share with me?
A. Shahid and Ahmed Khan, while shooting the song, knowing what awful dancers Chang and I are, decided to play a prank. They made us spend one-hour rehearsing ridiculously complicated dance steps, and told us they were going to be in the video. We worked our butts off still looking like hell. Finally exhausted, and scared, they told us the truth.
Q. Which is your favourite track from the film?
A. "Jingle Jingle", it’s a nice mellow driving song that I think one remembers, one sings along, and grooves to as well. Great guitar hook.
Q. Your next film to release is 'Delhi Belly' with Imran Khan, shed any light?
A. It's an Aamir Khan productions, so any light shedding will be left up to them. I can tell you, it’s the most unique cinema experience I have ever had. And that goes for anyone who ever worked on this film.
Q. What’s the one thing you really enjoy about filmmaking?
A. I enjoy the improvisational nature of it. I love how everyone, whether technical, creative or logistical, gets to improvise and be creative in their small way. I also love the butterfly effect of it all. How little additions and tweaks mean so much when you see them on a 70 floor canvas.
Q. On the flip-side what do you dislike about film-making?
A. Actors have to wait in trailers and vans a lot. Don’t like that much. I am used to a much faster pace of work.
Q. Besides ‘Badmaash’ what else is next for you?
A. I have 'Delhi Belly', I am doing a film with Tanuja Chandra. I have two films going on floor in 2011. Broken Das, my comedy show has a world tour in 15 countries. My comedy rock band Alien Chutney tours with a new album. I publish a book, and somehow find some time to sleep.
Q. How would you rate yourself as an actor?
A. I wouldn’t, you would. So pretty please, be kind.
Q. Then how would you rate yourself as a comedian?
A. It depends on how hard they are laughing. But I would say, it’s the best job in the world.
Q. Any plans on bringing your ‘Hamateur Nights’ to the UK?
A. Nope. But I will be touring the UK in August, and finally performing at the fringe. It’s been a dream of mine for a while now.
Q. How would you like the next five years to be like for you?
A. If all goes according to plan, I won’t know where they went, won’t know exactly how it all happened, but will hopefully love it as much as I am loving it now.
'Badmaash Company' releases on nationwide on May 7th.
