MUMBAI, Aug 31:
Actor-comedian Vir Das says it’s not always easy to create comedy when people are quick to take offence but the only answer to online trolling is to double down on humour.
Last month, several stand-up comedians including Das, Rohan Joshi and Kaneez Surka alleged that their personal contact information and addresses were leaked online.
Some Twitter users also dug out screenshots of past jokes of comedians to claim they had used Hindu gods in their punchlines.
When asked about the challenge of doing comedy while facing threats and social media vitriol, Das said the experience can be daunting but one must not stop creating new content.
“Since January, I’ve had fifteen legal notices and a High Court hearing to defend my comedy. But I’m privileged to hire people to do that. I am always conscious of the fact that younger comedians aren’t. The one thing we all agree on is that the solution to this is more comedy,” he told PTI.
In May, a plea had claimed the comedian’s Netflix fictional series “Hasmukh” had maligned the reputation of advocates. The Delhi High Court, however, declined to grant interim stay on airing of the show.
Das, also known for his Bollywood films “Delhi Belly” and “Go Goa Gone”, said his learning from an experience like this was to channel it into his writing. “You have to double down on doing comedy, may be not double down on that specific joke. Learn if something is wrong with that joke but double down on comedy. If you’re going through an experience like this, I hope you’re writing 20 jokes about the experience,” the comedian said.
Das has come up with a new charity special “Inside Out”, which is based on his experience of doing comedy amid the pandemic. The special emerged after the coronavirus thwarted the comedian’s plan for a 36-country world tour, prompting him to reach out to his audiences via screens.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel