- 8 months ago
Vir Das shared insights about his upcoming film 'Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos', revealing producer Aamir Khan's reaction to the story. Speaking to India Today, he also expressed his views on India's Gen Z and their ability to gather around undeniable truths and societal causes.
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00:00So, hello and welcome. Vidas, how are you doing?
00:02You come outside, come to Delhi.
00:05I am finally.
00:06My experience of Gurgaon is to come here to drink.
00:10Gurgaon has changed since then.
00:11It's changed since then.
00:12But in Delhi, at some point, it would end in Gurgaon as college kids.
00:20But none of this was there.
00:21None of this was there.
00:22Talking about change, Gurgaon has changed and so have you.
00:25I have changed a lot.
00:26I want to begin by saying that my first memory of you goes back to about 15 years ago.
00:31When, like I was mentioning to you a little while earlier, I saw you in this little cafe in Delhi.
00:36And you had some real mean things to say about journalists.
00:39And I was like, who the hell is this guy?
00:40Like, what does he think?
00:41I still have some mean things to say, but not about real journalists.
00:45Okay.
00:46But the point I was going to make was that from that to now a full curve where I would take out time out of my weekend.
00:56Leave my kid at home to go watch your show.
00:58Yeah.
00:59You've earned that respect today.
01:00And I'm so glad for the work that you're doing.
01:04So, yeah.
01:05Good, good times.
01:06And what a way to start 2026.
01:08You are now directing, you're writing, you're also acting.
01:11Co-directing, co-writing and acting with many people.
01:14Many, many people.
01:15Yeah.
01:15So, after a whirlwind of 24-25, tell me about how you're feeling right now.
01:21I'm nervous as hell.
01:22For us, a disconnect here because stand-up, the community, people leave the house for stand-up.
01:27You are accustomed to leaving the house for stand-up.
01:29So, maybe you get a babysitter, you get an Uber, you leave the house, etc, etc, etc.
01:34Films, whether they still leave the house for films or not is a genre-specific thing.
01:39So, you'll either leave the house for patriotism or you'll leave the house for horror.
01:44But for comedy, usually people leave the house, it's for live comedy.
01:47And I'm hoping they'll leave the house for film comedy as well.
01:50So, that's the litmus test of this film.
01:53Yeah.
01:54So, I'm nervous.
01:55I'm not going to lie.
01:55I am nervous.
01:56So, yeah.
01:57But how did it come about?
01:58Tell me a little bit about the movie.
02:00Like, I've seen the trailers.
02:01I've seen a lot of the stuff.
02:02But when I saw Dele Belli for the first time, I was like, what is this?
02:05It took me a while to understand the movie.
02:07So, the similar thing is happening.
02:09Equally stupid, equally silly.
02:11But I think, see, comedy is counter-culture, no?
02:15So, you kind of have to wait for culture to exist for the comedy version of that culture to exist.
02:19So, you have Dele Belli and Iklil.
02:21I don't know if you remember, but cinema was very cultured and very soft.
02:25You know, there was Zindagi Na Milliki Dubbara, which looked amazing.
02:28And there was Parinita and Guzareesh.
02:30It was all meaningful.
02:31So, then suddenly when three boys came and a pot and this and that, etc, etc, we popped.
02:37Now, Spy is as mainstream as you get.
02:39We live in war, Pathan, Durandar, Tiger.
02:43So, you need an idiotic, silly, stupid spy to be counter-culture.
02:47I'm happy to be that idiot.
02:48I wrote this film 10 years ago.
02:52Wow!
02:52So, I've had this idea because I saw Johnny English.
02:55Johnny English is one of my favorite movies.
02:56You know, I love like Pink Panther, Johnny English, spy comedy, detective comedy.
03:01And back then, everybody I took it to was like, but Indian spy, what is this thing?
03:07And I kind of had to wait for this whole thing to become mainstream.
03:10And then, two years ago, I called Aamir sir and said, sir, picture hai.
03:14And if you don't produce, then no one will produce.
03:17And then, that's how it started, two years ago.
03:20Nice.
03:21And then, I saw your post last night on Imran actually texting you to say, bro, what are you doing?
03:26It's an exact screenshot.
03:27I think Feb, 2024, he messaged saying, because,
03:31So, yeah, Imran, after 10 years off screen or 12 years off screen, text you out of the blue.
03:46You're like, I am making full use of this opportunity.
03:50But if I'm going to get Imran Khan, I'm not going to waste Imran Khan.
03:54So, it's not going to be rom-com Imran Khan.
03:57It's not going to be anything you've seen him do before.
03:58So, he plays international supermodel, Milind Maurya, in my movie.
04:06And that's all I can tell you.
04:07That's his character name.
04:09So, yeah.
04:09Talking about character names, the movie is called Happy Patel.
04:12Khatarnak Jassus.
04:14Khatarnak Jassus.
04:15Happy Patel, Khatarnak Jassus.
04:16Tell us a little bit about that.
04:18So, two British MI7 agents take a brown baby with them to London in 1991.
04:27That baby, I.
04:28And their staff name is Sakubai Patel.
04:32And there's a shootout in their house.
04:35And in the shootout, because she will not stop cleaning, she will get a gun.
04:39And my mother will die.
04:41And they take this baby to England with them.
04:45And they raise me as Happy Paisley.
04:47So, I am a sweet, sensitive, ballet, chef who makes sandwiches.
04:52Very unlike Patel.
04:55Very unlike Patel.
04:56And cut to present date.
04:57MI5 wants to send someone to Goa to take on the mafia.
05:00So, I am trained to be Indian in three weeks.
05:03I am taught Hindi in three weeks.
05:05I am shown lots of Bollywood movies.
05:07I am told that your name is Patel.
05:08And dropped into the Goa Mafia to take them on.
05:11So, that's the story of my mother.
05:12So, which Indian did you decide to showcase in your training?
05:18Because, you know, if I tell you the two people it's based on, on camera, I will go to jail.
05:29So, when we cut, I will tell you who they are based on once we cut cameras.
05:34Okay, I have looked at, even your stand-ups have a particular way in which it goes.
05:39It starts like really strong.
05:41Yeah.
05:41Then there is a almost blueprint now, right?
05:45A graph, yeah.
05:46Yeah, there will be a wave.
05:47You will start really strong.
05:49There will be something really solid in the middle.
05:51There will be a lot of audience play.
05:52Then it will end on something which is why I came to your show.
05:55Because you will say something which will really touch me and live with me.
05:58It will be quoted later and all of that, etc.
06:00Yeah, touch wood, touch wood.
06:01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:02So, brilliant stuff on that.
06:03I am trying to understand, on stage, as an artist, you are in full control.
06:07You control the lights from what I have seen and heard of your interviews.
06:10You control how audiences, you know, sitting, how they react from silence.
06:16All of that put together.
06:17How much of that control has actually come into that movie as well?
06:20That's why you direct.
06:21Because as an actor, I love actors, don't get me wrong.
06:24But you have to wait and talk about protein shakes a lot.
06:27You know what I mean?
06:28But as a director, you control the lighting.
06:30You control the edit.
06:31You control the music.
06:32Yeah.
06:32I have written 60% of the songs in this movie.
06:36I am the co-liracist.
06:37I am the co-music supervisor.
06:39My band has done 5 songs.
06:40So, I really said that if I never get to make another movie again, I am going to throw every good idea I have into this movie.
06:49But I will do it my way.
06:51And maybe, maybe only 5 people will get it.
06:53But they will get my flavour.
06:56You know, in this movie.
06:57So, if I never get to make another movie, I can do jokes about it.
07:03You know what I mean?
07:04That's the nice thing about my profession is the disaster in your life is 10 minutes of comedy later in life.
07:10So, yeah.
07:10Yeah, but this is such a beautiful phase, isn't it?
07:12I am going back to how the last couple of years have been all the way from To India's to what Indian comedy saw in just 2025.
07:23To the Gen Z movement we have seen world over in the past couple of years.
07:27Yeah.
07:27I am just trying to understand where is your head at?
07:29What is your read currently or what is happening around in terms of how people are…
07:33Let's start with how people are consuming content.
07:36Best smartphone audience in the world.
07:39Most democratic smartphone audience in the world.
07:42How do you say that?
07:44On YouTube.
07:45Your dubba, my dubba, Shah Rukh Khan's dubba, same size.
07:48Think about it, right?
07:50Earlier, for us to get attention, your channel had to do hoardings and yay, boh, etc, etc.
07:55You had to have standees, you had to know five producers, you had to do all of that stuff.
08:00I was just a dubba on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube.
08:03Instagram, we all had the same dimensions, you and me.
08:06It's very democratic.
08:0860-something percent of content in India is consumed on a smartphone.
08:11So, again, very democratic across income groups.
08:15If you think about it, right?
08:17You don't need to have a fancy setup, etc, to consume content.
08:23Durations are democratic as well.
08:25Most of comedy is consumed on reels right now.
08:27So, you don't have to shoot one hour of comedy if you're a new comic.
08:30You have to have three solid minutes for Instagram.
08:32And maybe people will come to see you because of that one reel.
08:35It's never been better if you think about it in terms of entry point to comedy.
08:40Like, when I started doing stand-up, you had to do a TV show or a Bollywood movie so people would know what your name was so that they could come and see you do stand-up live.
08:50So, that was the playbook.
08:52So, that was the playbook.
08:53That was a goom, firke, chakkar, maarke, chalo, badmash company karo, uske baad log, sirifo, dying.
09:01That was the playbook.
09:03Now, you need a viral reel there.
09:04And now, the film needs a viral reel as much as you do.
09:07So, it's very democratic.
09:09Like, if you look at Happy Patel, there's not been a big press event.
09:15We've not done some Dhor Dhar, music launch, etc, etc.
09:18We've put out three reels.
09:20That's it, right?
09:21Just me and Aamir in a room.
09:23And now me, Aamir and Sunil Grover in a room.
09:25It's very contained.
09:28Because our audience are online natives.
09:32This is funny because first you had to do movies to get stand-up.
09:36And now, it's become the opposite for you.
09:39It's become the opposite for you.
09:40I hope it works.
09:41We don't know if it works.
09:42Because we are one of the first films to try this kind of a self-aware in the process.
09:48Like, usually, films' marketing is very,
09:51Look at our finished product.
09:53Look at how glossy it is.
09:54Look at our graphics.
09:56But here, it's Aamir and me talking about,
09:58Who will cut?
09:59Who will edit?
10:00Who will be cut?
10:01Who will be cut?
10:01Who will be cut?
10:01Who will be cut?
10:02We've been kind of open about that process.
10:05You know, the first promo, he says four things to me,
10:09which are key marketing points.
10:10You have made a film.
10:12That was important to communicate.
10:14The hero is still alive in this film.
10:16Important to communicate.
10:18In your love track, the woman has the upper hand.
10:20The entire movie.
10:21She's in control.
10:23Important to communicate.
10:24That stayed with me.
10:25Right?
10:25And you're a bad dancer.
10:28Also important to communicate.
10:30So, through comedy, we were able to communicate four things about a film.
10:34Which is a good way to go about it.
10:36That's smart.
10:37But Happy Patel also has, how do I say, he's a spy who's slightly off.
10:43Yeah.
10:43He's slightly.
10:44Very off.
10:44He's an idiot.
10:45He's a certain misfit.
10:47Yeah.
10:47Then he tries to get in.
10:49He's like this outsider trying to understand things.
10:52You know where I'm getting with this, right?
10:53A lot of this has to do with who you are.
10:56Yeah.
10:56So, is this like a projection of?
10:59I mean, everything you write is a projection.
11:01But at its core, the movie is about what it means to be Indian.
11:06Today.
11:07It takes every NRI trope that you have and reverses it.
11:12All his training is wrong.
11:14Every idea he comes to India with as a NRI is wrong.
11:19And India teaches him what's right.
11:21So, that's very much about.
11:23The center of the movie is about what it means to be Indian.
11:26Yeah.
11:27In a very stupid, silly way.
11:29It's not preachy.
11:30It doesn't talk at the audience at all.
11:32You know.
11:33But that's typically you, right?
11:34You typically talk about hardcore India issues.
11:37But you wrap it up with humor.
11:40Yeah.
11:40A lot of times it's self-replicating.
11:42A lot of times it's got to do with, like I said, about misfits.
11:47A lot of times it's about duality.
11:50And I'm seeing all of that sort of come together.
11:52Which is why I'm asking, do you think India is ready for something like that?
11:55After having had the year that we've had in stand-up with lots of young people, do you think India is ready for something like this?
12:04I can't predict whether they are theatrically ready or, you know, I haven't been in a movie in nine years.
12:14It's my first ever movie.
12:15Right?
12:16First or not?
12:17As in, as a co-director, right?
12:19Yeah.
12:19Now usually, when you launch as a director, you don't have this many eyeballs on you.
12:25If you understand, you know what I mean?
12:26Directors usually get to ease into the industry.
12:29They get to make a small film and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
12:32Mine is still a small film in terms of its budget and its size.
12:36You know, it's a very low-cost film, but it's got a lot more eyeballs on it than a film this size usually gets.
12:42So, I'm not going to claim any sort of wisdom.
12:45Like, I'm not going to claim any sort of film industry.
12:48I'm not, I'm not succeeded in the film industry if you actually think about it.
12:51So, you know.
12:54I'm surprised you're saying not succeeded.
12:55I think Delhi Belly was huge.
12:57Way ahead of its times.
12:59But it was, Delhi Belly was, I would attribute that success to Aamir Khan and then Imran Khan also.
13:05You know, like, people forget that Delhi Belly came out the year after Janetu, I think.
13:12You know, so Imran was just, like, I remember the vanity van door would open and 3,000 girls were screaming everywhere we went.
13:22You can't discount that.
13:23You know, that's incomparable.
13:26That's you today.
13:27There are no women screaming to me anyway.
13:29My wife is screaming at me saying go walk the dog and all of that stuff.
13:33But there are no young girls hormonally screaming at me anywhere in India.
13:37Oh, come on.
13:37I don't think that's the case anymore.
13:39Not at all.
13:39I have a joke where I say, you know, chocolate boys, women throw their underwear at chocolate boys.
13:45Only one woman has thrown her underwear at me and she said, please put this in the washing machine.
13:50And run it for two cycles.
13:51No, that's good.
13:53But I'm trying to understand that, like, I keep coming back to the India concept and that being so central to what you do in terms of comedy, what you write in terms of films, how you want to direct and the conversation you want to have.
14:06There's a very clear sort of a universe that you revolve around.
14:12Give me an insight into why is that.
14:14Is that you, is that coming from a need to really say something?
14:20Is that coming from a need to protect something?
14:23I don't know, for some reason, I've had a weird childhood, right?
14:27In terms of, I was raised in Africa till I was eight.
14:31Then I was sent to Simla from eight to 12.
14:35Then Noida from 12 to 18.
14:38And 13 to 18 and then abroad and then back.
14:42So, I've never really sat anywhere.
14:46And so, you, sometimes if you, if you have an Indian photographer, shoot New York.
14:54He will see things that New Yorkers don't see.
14:58And sometimes if you have a foreign cinematographer shoot an Indian movie, they will see things that we don't see also.
15:04You know?
15:05Maybe that's just it.
15:06Maybe you come from the outside and you see little things that people walk by every day.
15:11But I've written five stand-up specials about India.
15:19Yes.
15:19That's a pretty committed, takes a long time to write a stand-up special.
15:23It is very easy to write specials about, I'm going to gym, I'm fighting with my wife.
15:27You know, there are many relatable topics.
15:32I, through my life, in some way, shape or form, I've been told I'm not Indian enough.
15:39Right?
15:40And so, I keep writing these tribute shows to India.
15:43I hope one day I will write the show where they say, alright, Indian enough.
15:49So, it's about acceptance.
15:51It certainly hasn't happened yet.
15:52But, it's what I love to write about the most.
15:56They're all love letters to my country.
15:58All of these shows.
15:59Lovely.
16:00Lovely.
16:01I love letters to your country.
16:03But from the country also, you've got…
16:06All types of letters.
16:07All things you've got, you've got a lot of love, a lot of applause, a lot of hate, a lot of cancellations.
16:16But worth the love.
16:17Worth the love and then the comeback as well.
16:20But now, today, when you're here, you think all that is behind completely.
16:25That's just not…
16:26No, it spikes up now and then.
16:28Depending on if it's a slow news day and a distraction is needed, sometimes I'll…
16:33You don't work in this style.
16:35What do you mean?
16:36No, I'm saying for people who want attention, etc, etc.
16:39But, it's part and parcel here.
16:43You know, the journey from being a young comic into an older comic is…
16:48Earlier, you used to demonize the offended.
16:51Array, they took offense.
16:53They're a big villain.
16:54And then you get a little bit older and you realize…
16:57Taking offense is…
16:58They're right as much as it is yours to crack a joke.
17:01Don't make five phone calls after you take offense.
17:04Just take offense and communicate your feedback.
17:07And if an artist is mature, head down, mouth shut, I'll take your feedback.
17:13That is the honor I afford you as an audience member.
17:16But then don't punish me with process.
17:18Don't make five phone calls.
17:19But please give me your feedback.
17:21So, I no longer demonize people who get offended.
17:24I think I grew up a little bit where I'm like, oh, that's their right ear.
17:27You know, if you go back to Same Size Dubba,
17:30my Twitter account is the same dimensions as yours,
17:34you should be able to communicate what you feel about me
17:37like I say what I feel about you.
17:39I think I've grown up in that sense.
17:41Yeah.
17:41You know.
17:42That growing up is the difference, you think,
17:44with other comics as well in India.
17:45It's been a rough year last few years.
17:48With Sameh's case, with all of them,
17:50you just constantly feel…
17:52You don't know if what was done was right.
17:54It's not.
17:55The offense taken is…
17:59You're right.
18:00The process post the offense is not right.
18:03You know, I'm in touch with all of them.
18:05Whenever a comic is in trouble in India,
18:06I get a phone call.
18:08Veerabhai, what is the playbook?
18:10You have a blueprint for how to tackle it.
18:12First you do this, then you do that, then you do this.
18:14There is some eight-day keep your mouth shut rule, I heard.
18:17Keep your mouth shut for eight days.
18:19A news cycle is eight days.
18:21If you're still on the news in nine days,
18:23say something.
18:24But usually you're a distraction.
18:26You're not really the issue.
18:27You'll be humbled by
18:30how quickly India moves on.
18:32There's a lot of things.
18:34Yeah, in the center of a controversy,
18:35you're like,
18:35Oh, you're all talking about me.
18:38I'm the focal point
18:39because you trended for two days.
18:41And then on the third day,
18:42somebody else is the focal point.
18:44Like, I learned that with the two Indias.
18:46It was done in 14 days, 15 days.
18:49Really like a light went off,
18:50somebody went,
18:51and I was off the news.
18:53You know, so,
18:55sit.
18:56Don't scream into the void.
18:58Don't react too quick.
19:00And when you react,
19:01react with jokes.
19:02Use your art.
19:03Like, I post to India's,
19:06it's nothing to be boastful of,
19:09but I didn't do a single news interview
19:11for two years.
19:12Yeah.
19:12Right?
19:13And I had every outlet in the world
19:16calling me
19:17for an interview at that moment in time.
19:19From every country in the world.
19:21I just shut up and I wrote jokes.
19:23And that turned into a tour
19:24which turned into a Netflix special.
19:26The first thing I had to say about it
19:28was a joke.
19:28which is what it means
19:32to have my job.
19:34You know, like,
19:35American celebrities,
19:36there's a playbook, no?
19:37They get into trouble,
19:38then they go and cry on Oprah.
19:40Then they say,
19:41I was taking antibiotics
19:42and I was having a bad day, etc.
19:44I just shut up, yeah.
19:44I wrote jokes.
19:45Be funny.
19:46That's it.
19:47Sameh was clearly not listening to you
19:49because he was found
19:50everywhere in the world
19:51with real saying something
19:52or something or the other
19:53was going on.
19:54He went away for a bit
19:55and the first thing he said
19:56about it was funny.
19:57I'm very much in touch with him.
19:58Sorry.
20:01Repeatedly.
20:02Okay.
20:04I do want to talk about
20:05the year of Gen Z
20:06that I mentioned earlier on
20:07as well, right?
20:08I'm so happy
20:09because this is a Gen Z movie.
20:10Gen Z movie, yeah.
20:12I don't know what Gen Z means,
20:13frankly.
20:14I think this generation
20:14just gets,
20:15it's too much
20:16in the domain
20:17for no reason.
20:18But...
20:19That's our age talking.
20:20I don't know if we're
20:21the same age or whatever.
20:22We're millennials.
20:22Yeah, okay.
20:23We'll leave it there.
20:24No, I think they are
20:25a self-aware generation
20:28very authentic
20:30and
20:31it's a weird
20:34thing to document
20:35and broadcast
20:36your life
20:37while you are living
20:37your life.
20:38Yeah.
20:39Right?
20:39Yeah.
20:39We can't relate to that
20:41but that is their ethos.
20:44Like, you are no longer
20:45going to a Veer show
20:47or a Diljeet show
20:48or a Coldplay concert.
20:50You are going to document
20:52and broadcast yourself
20:54at a Veer show
20:55or a Diljeet show
20:56or a Coldplay concert
20:57because doing that
20:59says something about
21:00who you are
21:01and what your tribe is.
21:02That's what I figured out
21:03about them.
21:04Their tribe is very
21:05important to them.
21:06Fair enough.
21:07You know?
21:09Fair enough.
21:10Yeah.
21:11Everybody has
21:12their own thing.
21:13Like, I remember
21:13when we
21:13hip-hop came out
21:15when, you know,
21:16we were 10 or 11 years old
21:18and our parents were like,
21:18what is this nonsense?
21:19Nobody's singing.
21:21Everybody has their thing.
21:23Look at how hard
21:24our generation
21:25fought for sexuality.
21:27Yes.
21:28You know?
21:28That was really our
21:30Nirbhya movement
21:31and everything.
21:32I'm saying
21:33racial equality
21:35and sexuality
21:36very much
21:37our cornerstone issues
21:40of our generation.
21:42I think for them
21:42it's mental health.
21:43Yep.
21:44You know?
21:46Fair enough.
21:46It's very parity.
21:47It's all of that.
21:48But give me your
21:49To India sort of
21:50lens on Gen Z
21:51because there's a huge
21:52thing online as well
21:54that where Gen Z
21:55even in our
21:56neighboring countries
21:57is overturning
21:58governments.
21:59Is making sure
22:01that change happens.
22:02Look at even
22:02what's happening
22:03in Arab right now.
22:04It's all of it, right?
22:06Yeah.
22:06Where is the Gen Z?
22:07What are you doing?
22:08I mean I often
22:11and I'm not saying
22:13it as a comment
22:13I genuinely want
22:14to know what's
22:15your read on this
22:15because I struggle
22:16sometimes.
22:17I feel like
22:17we are the youngest
22:18country in the world
22:20very opinionated
22:22with lots of
22:23tons of issues.
22:24Yeah.
22:24What are we doing?
22:25What is this one thing
22:27that gets Gen Z
22:28together?
22:28Is it street dogs?
22:29Is it a ravalese?
22:31Is it politics?
22:32Is it education?
22:33Is it jobs?
22:34Because nothing seems
22:34to matter at the moment.
22:36I think that
22:37if we start
22:39my limited
22:40understanding of it
22:41is
22:41you can gather
22:44around the truth.
22:46Right?
22:48I remember
22:49seeing
22:51young kids
22:52come together
22:53to stand up
22:53for Nirbhaya.
22:54Yes.
22:55Because we all knew
22:56what the truth was.
22:57That was millennials
22:58again.
22:58That's not Gen Z.
22:59But I'm saying
22:59there was no disputing
23:01what that truth was.
23:02Yeah.
23:03Right?
23:03I don't think
23:04it's easy to prove
23:05any truth right now.
23:07How do you get
23:08behind a truth
23:08that cannot be proven?
23:10It is
23:11there are 17
23:12different versions
23:13of everything
23:14that are paid for
23:14trending.
23:15You know
23:15I just don't think
23:17anybody knows
23:17what's real anymore.
23:19And we're being
23:19algorithmed into
23:20echo chambers
23:21that say
23:22completely opposite
23:23things.
23:24But I think
23:24when one thing
23:25emerges that is true
23:26we stand up for it.
23:27Like okay
23:27it is undeniable
23:29that the AQI
23:30is a problem.
23:31Yep.
23:31You cannot spin it
23:32either way.
23:33AQI doesn't vote
23:34AQI doesn't do
23:36anything else
23:36it just is.
23:38And so
23:39there's chatter
23:39around AQI
23:40but I feel like
23:41this generation
23:42is being deprived
23:43of the truth
23:43at all levels.
23:46Yeah.
23:46but like you said
23:48AQI is here
23:48but nobody seems
23:50to care about it.
23:51Nobody seems to
23:52wait a little bit.
23:53I'm hopeful.
23:54I'm very hopeful
23:54will be.
23:55Okay.
23:57Tell me about
23:58next steps for Veer.
23:59I know there's a special
24:00there's a tour
24:01that you're already on.
24:02We don't know if
24:03There's a show called
24:03Sounds of India.
24:04Yes.
24:05Which is
24:05I hear there's some
24:06like theatrical things
24:07there and I'm waiting
24:08for a show to happen here.
24:10It is every sound
24:11you will hear
24:12from 3.45 in the morning
24:13to midnight in India
24:14through the day.
24:15So if you live in India
24:17every noise
24:18that you will hear
24:19so
24:20and it takes you
24:21across India
24:22to every state
24:22and plays their noises
24:23as well.
24:24So it is an audible
24:24experience
24:25but it is
24:26200 sounds
24:28in one and a half hours
24:29and jokes about them.
24:32So
24:32because
24:33the theory of the show
24:34is I think
24:35all this noise pollution
24:38if you hear it right
24:40there's a music to it
24:41and there's a poetry to it.
24:42So I think that's the
24:43the centrepiece of the show.
24:45Nice.
24:45So that will do
24:46a big India tour.
24:49Hopefully you'll see me
24:50on Broadway soon.
24:51I have another show
24:51that I know internationally
24:52called Hey Strangers
24:53you'll hopefully see me there
24:54and if this movie works
24:56I'll direct soon
24:57and if it doesn't
24:58I'll be doing stand-up.
24:59That's the
24:59so yeah.
25:01That's nice.
25:01Tell me a little bit
25:02about what are you listening to
25:03what are you reading
25:04these days?
25:05Reading
25:06I haven't read anything
25:07in a while
25:07to be honest
25:08because I've just been
25:09A. I was writing a book
25:11and that took the longest time
25:12and then
25:13I've been on this film
25:14and it really is a bubble
25:15that follows you.
25:17I've been listening to
25:18I listen to the first
25:20four minutes of every podcast
25:22and fall asleep.
25:23So I've replaced podcasts
25:25like white noise
25:26and ambient sounds
25:27with podcasts
25:27and I sleep on flights.
25:28Oh my god you have to be
25:29like the fifth person today
25:30today to say this to me.
25:32What's happening?
25:33So I can put a podcast on
25:34on a flight
25:34and crash for two hours
25:35but music doesn't
25:36help me crash.
25:37So I don't know
25:38have podcasts peaked
25:39do you think?
25:40Yeah, yeah.
25:41I don't know.
25:41You had a podcast
25:42back in the day.
25:43I had something called
25:44podcast.
25:44Yes.
25:45Which is like a news
25:46comedy thing.
25:46Yes, yes.
25:47I'm not doing a podcast
25:48no chance.
25:49It's not time
25:50if you have to sit
25:50five hours
25:51and talk about
25:52I don't have it.
25:53No.
25:54No.
25:55But music scene
25:55something new
25:56something fun
25:57that you've heard
25:57since you
25:58Sounds of India
25:59is like one of those
26:00things now.
26:01I have a couple
26:02of new musicians
26:03on this movie
26:03that I discovered
26:04so I got sent
26:04a lot of Gen Z music
26:05which is nice.
26:06Do you know
26:08Rishabh the sitarist?
26:10Yes.
26:10So I've been
26:10listening to him
26:11a little bit
26:11for reference.
26:14There's a Delhi
26:15artist called
26:15Char Diwari
26:16who I've been
26:17his name is Garv.
26:18I've been
26:18listening to him.
26:21There's a
26:22Punjabi girl
26:24called Harleen
26:25Kaur I think
26:26who does Punjabi
26:27jazz.
26:27Yes, yes.
26:28He hates Punjabi
26:29jazz.
26:29I've been listening
26:30to her.
26:30That's about it.
26:31Yeah, just on
26:32music some
26:33construction is
26:33happening on the
26:34background so
26:34clearly this is
26:35lovely.
26:36Lovely, lovely
26:37this is
26:37this should be
26:38Sounds of Music
26:38so we've spoken
26:40but all of this
26:42is happening
26:42you'll stay away
26:43from political
26:44commentary
26:46Come to my
26:47show, it's there
26:48but I don't
26:49think it's
26:49I can't predict
26:52what's going to
26:52be the thing
26:54that gets
26:55everybody riled up
26:56that's what
26:57I've learned
26:57you could think
26:59it's going to
27:00be this thing
27:00and the thing
27:01you never thought
27:02is going to
27:02be the problem
27:03so your best
27:04bet is just
27:05write it
27:05and just
27:06say it
27:06and then
27:07deal with it
27:08when the
27:08time comes
27:09but if you
27:09second guess
27:10you'll drive
27:10yourself insane
27:11I also think
27:12typically
27:16if you come
27:17and see a
27:17comic
27:17Grover
27:20myself
27:21Kamra
27:22anybody
27:23really
27:24outside of
27:26a few of us
27:26political commentary
27:27is like
27:2710% of our
27:29show
27:29that's what
27:30goes viral
27:31so you assume
27:32it's the whole
27:33show
27:33but there's
27:34a kahani
27:34to our show
27:35it's a piece
27:36what would you
27:37like to be
27:37viral for
27:38I wouldn't
27:39like to be
27:40viral for
27:40anything
27:41I've never
27:41gone viral
27:42when I've
27:43gone viral
27:44there's been
27:44okay what would
27:46you like to
27:46be known for
27:47let me
27:48rephrase that
27:48don't say
27:51directing and
27:52all that
27:52now that's
27:53a
27:53best case
27:53scenario
27:54for a comic
27:55at least
27:56I'm long
27:58dead
27:58I'm long
27:59gone
28:00but if you're
28:01still quoting
28:02two or three
28:02things that I
28:03said
28:03that's it
28:05that's enough
28:06there's a comic
28:07called George
28:08Carlin
28:08who I really
28:09like
28:09from the 60s
28:1070s 80s
28:11till date he's
28:12quoted every day
28:13on twitter by
28:14the left and
28:14the right
28:14same joke
28:16and I think
28:18that's
28:19you know
28:20words are
28:22immortal
28:22so if I can
28:23create
28:23two or three
28:25phrases that
28:26outlive me
28:26best case
28:27and when do
28:28these best
28:29words come to
28:30you everybody
28:30has a process
28:31you'll tell me
28:31I don't know
28:32you like I'm
28:33trying to understand
28:34your process
28:34sometimes I
28:35wake up in the
28:36middle of the
28:36night I
28:36remember my
28:37early days of
28:37reporting when
28:39we used to be
28:39think about
28:39P2C karne ko
28:40milra hai
28:41I would wake
28:42up in the
28:42middle of the
28:42night in my
28:43dream I would
28:43get that this
28:44is what I
28:44should you know
28:45end on and
28:46this is what
28:46the shot should
28:47be and
28:48everybody has
28:48their own
28:49process
28:49I think for
28:50me I write
28:51jokes and
28:52then I try
28:53and put my
28:54thoughts in
28:55between jokes
28:55so a lot of
28:56times the
28:57things that
28:57like okay in
28:59my special
29:00landing there
29:01was about very
29:01much about
29:02patriotism in
29:03home and all
29:03of that stuff
29:04there's a line
29:05that I say
29:06hate is yelled
29:08but love is
29:09felt
29:09right now that
29:11is the one line
29:12everybody quotes
29:13from that
29:13special it was
29:15improvised it
29:16wasn't written
29:16it was in
29:17between jokes I
29:19needed something
29:19to get from
29:20one joke to
29:21another and
29:22it's just what
29:23I thought so
29:24I just spoke so
29:25a lot of times
29:26that stuff is
29:27maybe because
29:29there's a rawness
29:30to it it goes
29:32more viral or
29:32whatever so I
29:33can never tell
29:34I'm always wrong
29:35whatever I think
29:37I'm always wrong
29:41always 100% wrong
29:44okay okay so
29:45let me do some
29:46rapid fire questions
29:47with you okay
29:47and I'll go to
29:50my so don't
29:51overthink just
29:51say like whatever
29:52that comes to
29:53your mind okay
29:53are we ready
29:55are we ready
29:56for this one okay
29:56great stage or
29:58silence
29:58stage okay
30:01bombing on stage
30:02or a film that's
30:03politely ignored
30:04bombing on stage
30:07I'll learn
30:07something from
30:08bombing on stage
30:09I'd rather have
30:09that a joke that
30:11offends or a joke
30:13that's forgettable
30:14love me or hate
30:16me just don't
30:16ignore me so I'd
30:17rather offend you
30:18than you forget
30:19about it Indian
30:20audience or global
30:21audience which is
30:22harder which is
30:23harder on you
30:24harder and better
30:25harder and better
30:26okay but any
30:28day Indian
30:28audience much
30:30harder 5 minutes
30:31at up top best
30:3295 minutes that
30:34follow so
30:35explain that
30:35in America if
30:38you perform
30:38first 5 minutes
30:40they're in
30:40and then by
30:4360 minutes
30:43they're running
30:44out of seminar
30:45a little bit
30:45Indian audience
30:46we wait
30:475 minutes
30:48let's see
30:49were you worth
30:51this ticket or
30:52not and then
30:53they'll give you
30:5395 minutes of
30:54gold so their
30:56energy never dies
30:57I call it the
30:58diesel engine
30:59we start
31:00maybe Indian
31:04audience globally
31:05for you I would
31:06have thought that
31:08no no a lot of
31:10Indian audience
31:11globally I'm their
31:13newest connect to
31:15India so they come
31:17out and they're like
31:17what's happening
31:18in the country
31:18tell me because a
31:19lot of them have
31:20not been in a room
31:21with this many
31:21Indians in a very
31:22long time so for
31:23them I'm that but
31:25I'll take a Mumbai
31:26audience over anywhere
31:27in the world anywhere
31:29I'm talking about
31:31Mumbai
31:32I have to come back
31:33to that question
31:33anyways but going
31:34back to a rapid
31:35fire being
31:36misunderstood or
31:37being irrelevant
31:38being irrelevant
31:42I'd rather if
31:43you're going to
31:44know me I'd rather
31:44it be for what
31:47you felt and if
31:47you don't feel it
31:48I'd rather not
31:48you know me
31:49one emotion you
31:51use humor to
31:52avoid
31:53conflict I don't
31:56like conflict I'm
31:57not a conflict
31:57oriented person so
31:58if my wife is mad
32:00at me I'm making
32:00her laugh in 30
32:01seconds which makes
32:02her more upset
32:03because the fight's
32:06over there but
32:07immediately I've got
32:08jokes if we're
32:08having a fight so
32:09yeah okay
32:10one emotion you
32:12wish you were
32:12better at expressing
32:13without a joke
32:14I wish I was
32:18better at handling
32:19a compliment it
32:21terrifies me I'm
32:22not good with
32:22praise and I'm
32:23not good so if
32:24somebody's like I'm
32:25just like and I
32:27add a stupid joke
32:28in there to disarm
32:29it I'm not good
32:29ladies and gentlemen
32:30the biggest biggest
32:31comic of our time
32:32is sitting with us
32:33right now outside
32:34in Gurgaon
32:35construction yeah
32:36yeah film fair for
32:37direction is coming
32:37up no chance
32:39yeah okay creative
32:41freedom or financial
32:42safety creative
32:44freedom a compliment
32:47you secretly
32:48distrusted people
32:49when people say
32:53when I go to
32:54America everybody
32:55says love that
32:56every time at the
32:58end of the meeting
32:58they're like oh my
32:59god I love it I
32:59love that I'm like
33:00I'm never seeing this
33:01person again in my
33:02life so yeah oh it's
33:05like let's do this
33:06again yeah let's do
33:07this again yeah it's a
33:08very like LA New York
33:10oh my god I love that
33:11I'm like see you have a
33:12nice life it's actually
33:13from friends yeah yeah
33:15okay a criticism that
33:17still stings
33:18you don't know anything
33:24about India I would submit
33:27to you that I've seen
33:27more of India as a
33:29traveling artist than
33:30many people have you
33:32know writing alone at
33:343 a.m. or a room full
33:36of collaborators for a
33:38film a room full of
33:39collaborators for me
33:40writing alone at 7 a.m.
33:42I write for two hours a
33:43day at 7 a.m.
33:43every day without fail
33:45okay something you have
33:47outgrown but people
33:48still expect from you
33:50some of the movies I did
33:56after deli belly and go
33:57go are gone they're
33:59still expecting that
34:00from you bro sex
34:02comedy which you
34:03did was very good
34:04and I'm like yeah
34:04okay stand up that
34:06changes minds or
34:07stand up that can
34:08make people laugh
34:09if you make them
34:10laugh enough you'll
34:11change their mind
34:11good answer
34:13being liked or
34:14being respected
34:14neither
34:17loved then
34:20no
34:20then
34:21people
34:23women with
34:24underwears what
34:25what
34:25being seen
34:28and making people
34:30feel seen
34:30that's it
34:32to me that's
34:33hard
34:33one word you've
34:35tried
34:36one word you are
34:37tired of hearing
34:38about yourself
34:39wisdom
34:43some people say
34:44wisdom
34:45I'm like
34:46no
34:46I'm just talking
34:48okay
34:49and last one
34:50are you
34:51calmer than you
34:53were five years
34:54ago or just
34:54you are quieter
34:55I've always been
34:56quiet and I'm
34:57not calmer
34:58I've
34:58finally getting to
35:01do some of the
35:02crazy things in my
35:03brain
35:03I've been
35:04cancelled for two
35:05years and sat
35:06on my bum for
35:06two years doing
35:07absolutely nothing
35:08finally getting to
35:10work again
35:10so I'm not calm
35:12at all I'm ready
35:12to go
35:13okay and if
35:16Virgas was an
35:17animal what
35:19animal would you
35:19be
35:20sparrow
35:24explain
35:27he's here
35:28I'll go
35:28somewhere else
35:29I'll go
35:29somewhere else
35:30you're always
35:31happy to see
35:31him
35:31doesn't really
35:32impact your
35:33life but
35:34he'll kind of
35:35remind you of
35:36where you are
35:36that's it
35:37I'm a sparrow
35:37oh nice
35:39that was nice
35:40next time I see
35:41a sparrow you
35:41know who to
35:42remember and why
35:43I have one
35:44story I want
35:45you to tell me
35:45about that I've
35:46heard
35:46you apparently
35:47met your
35:48first girlfriend
35:49in a news
35:51channel in
35:51Noida
35:52what was that
35:52I won't give
35:55away your name
35:56yeah
35:56but
35:56is she a
35:57journalist like
35:59right now
35:59I don't know
36:00she still is
36:00but she was
36:01then and
36:02we dated in
36:04DPS Noida
36:05and then I was
36:06giving an interview
36:07for Delhi Belly
36:07and this is
36:09early in Delhi
36:10Belly in my
36:11career so nobody
36:11knows who I am
36:12so Aamir Imran
36:13getting all the
36:13questions me and
36:14Kunal are just
36:15kind of chilling
36:15for the ride
36:15and then this
36:17one journalist
36:17like he used
36:18to be so shy
36:19in school
36:19because I could
36:21barely hold a
36:21hand without
36:22blushing
36:22when did you
36:24come out of
36:24your shell
36:24so I'm like
36:26I was live
36:28on the news
36:29so I'm like
36:29you know
36:29comedy etc etc
36:31etc and then
36:33in the news
36:33break I realized
36:34this is my
36:34first girlfriend
36:35oh my god
36:37we were 15
36:3816 so we
36:39have both
36:39changed
36:40reasonably since
36:41then
36:41yeah
36:41but yeah
36:42it was quite
36:43a
36:44quite a revelation
36:46all right
36:47on that
36:48note
36:48Mr.
36:49Veerdas
36:49thank you
36:50very very
36:50much
36:50good luck
36:51for the
36:51movie
36:52thank you
36:52I hope
36:53it does
36:53real well
36:54and I hope
36:54you have
36:55all those
36:55people
36:56you can
36:56fill up
36:56a stadium
36:57we know
36:57with your
36:57jokes
36:58let's hope
36:59I can fill up
36:59a movie
37:00theatre
37:00we'll see
37:02all right
37:02tell our viewers
37:03very quickly
37:04where to
37:04watch
37:05when
37:05please watch
37:06Happy Patel
37:06Khatarnak
37:07Jasu
37:07sits in
37:08theatres
37:08on January
37:0916th
37:10we also are
37:11having special
37:12shows just
37:12for college
37:13kids
37:13see if you
37:14just want
37:14to go out
37:15with no
37:16adults
37:16we're doing
37:18one or two
37:18shows
37:18every day
37:19in every
37:19PVR
37:20which just
37:20college kids
37:21can come
37:21and watch
37:21with each
37:21other
37:22find your
37:22tribe
37:23go see
37:23my movie
37:23on that
37:25note
37:25thank you
37:25so much
37:26good luck
37:26thank you
37:27so much
37:27cheers guys
37:28this was fun
37:29yeah
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