Stand-up comedian Vir Das was recently trolled for his piece 'Two Indias', that he recited at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. Complaints have also been filed against him for allegedly defaming the country. Now, in an interview to NDTV, Das has said that he will continue writing 'love letters' to his country as long as he can do comedy.
"I think laughter is a celebration, and when applause and laughter fill up a room it's a moment of pride. I feel that any Indian who has a sense of humour and understands satire knows what happened in that room".Vir Das, Stand-up comedian
He added that any piece of work will receive different kinds of feedback, but he was overwhelmed with the love that millions showered on the show. "A comedian puts out satire and if it's the good of the country and the bad of the country ending in its good, I think that's something that you should want to come together in. I can't expect what happens when I put out a piece of content... It's jokes. It's not in my hands", he told NDTV.
Das, who has been nominated for International Emmys for his Netflix show Vir Das: For India, also made it clear that this backlash wouldn't change the kind of content he writes. "I have made my country laugh for 10 years. I have devoted my life to writing about my country. We are here at the Emmys because I wrote a love letter to my country. As long as I am able to do comedy I want to keep writing love letters to my country."
In 'Two Indias', Das spoke about the duality of the country and touched upon many topics - from COVID, price of petrol to the Delhi gangrape and farmers' protests.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)