Vir Das reveals why he envies nepo kids: ‘They have good counsel’

Vir Das has been a part of both the Bollywood and Comedy Industry. While speaking exclusively on mid-day`s Sit With Hitlist, the actor got candid about his initial projects. He shared how Rang De Basanti gave him hope that there was space for him in the Industry. Vir Das shared a movie that could have been his Bollywood debut got cancelled. 

What changed for Vir Das after watching Rang De Basanti?

Vir, on watching Rang De Basanti, shared, "So I`m a trained actor. I was in the theatre. When I saw Rang De Basanti at Regal.  And I`m sitting there going, look at Aamir Khan sharing space with this ensemble. And look at how well Sharman came out in that. How well Madhavan also came out in that, etc. They`re not just heroes` friends. Look at how much justice they did all of these characters. There might be space for someone like me."

Vir had done a Bollywood film with Vikram Bhatt called Mumbai Salsa. "The first day, first show, I went with my family. Friday night show. I was the lead. Cancelled. Because only six people showed up. I still remember how I bagged that film. I had gone to audition for the third hero, Vikram Bhatt was there, and I`m like, here`s my stand-up, DVD, for a special I shot at Habitat. And I got the auto pulled up in Bandra, and I got a call from him saying, bro, you`re the hero of the movie."

He further quipped, "And so that was Manoj Tyagi who directed it. But it was something I did alongside CNBC. I`d shoot at night, and you know, that was the two things. Didn`t work out. That was going to be my Bollywood debut. And Manjari Fadnis and I were in it as the leads, but it didn`t work out. Luckily, didn`t quit the day job. And then there was something, and then I saw Rang De Basanti, and I was like, I think there`s space for me. I quit the job at CNBC; it was, in any case, a recession. So, everybody doesn`t want to hear jokes. In an economic downturn, comedy has to be escapist. And in social turmoil, comedy has to be true. So at that point, nobody wanted a kid on the news going like, oh, the economy crashed again today. Yeah, it`s not funny at all."

Vir Das on envying nepo kids

Vir shared why he envies nepo kids, "The one area where I envy nepo kids is that they have good counsel. And they have the opportunity to work as an AD. They know what makes a movie a movie. Early in life. And they know what makes a good script a good script. I was just kind of like, bro, a studio wants to make a movie. I got a job. Let`s go. And then I started to do a lot of things. I think after film 5 or 6, I was like, oh, I wouldn`t watch this. What am I doing? And then, I was only in the movies for like, 6 years maybe, 6-7 years."