Review: Emmy-nominated Indian comic Vir Das’ brave new act - ‘Wanted’

When you think of a terrorist, a funny man with a mic is not the image most people have. For starters, his religion had nothing to do with it. It was his words that got comedian Vir Das in trouble in India the last time he went on a global tour and ended up being labelled a ‘terrorist’.

But, he’s back with his brave new act - ‘Wanted’ (it remains to be seen if Bollywood wants him back) - and the 43-year-old stand-up comedian/actor had Birmingham Town Hall in splits of laughter this week (September 6).

His show delves into topics like freedom and patriotism/nationalism and other serious issues. Das didn’t shy away from addressing what made him the target of thousands of death threats and trolls, instead, he addressed the issues with caution.

This tour is as much penance as vengeance for the Emmy-nominated comedian. He didn’t spare the Brits of their colonial past and neither did he spare the middle-aged desi “uncles” or the trolls who came at him and his family after his viral “I come from two Indias” video.

He performed his monologue at the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington DC in 2021 before flying back home - where he expected to be jailed for “maligning” the country’s image on foreign soil.

He has found a solution to that and we’ll leave you to watch his performance to figure that out. His show can’t be called a riotous laugh because it’s peppered with layers of real issues prevailing in his home country and the world at large.

You are likely to feel the crescendo of laughter in the hall and also the pin-drop silence while he performs.If you intend to watch the show, leave your serious hat at home because being offended at comedians seems to be passé.

And especially, Das - who has been cancelled through the length and breadth of India - and still survived, is unlikely to ease up his act for the audience’s comfort.

He tested the boundaries of the audience while interacting with them but still left everyone in splits at the end.

He is on tour in the UK and beyond. You can find more details here.

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