Vir Das on comedy in times of coronavirus: If you're funny, time to do your best job now

Actor-comic Vir Das says people will need to smile a lot more amid the coronavirus pandemic and comedians should step up to do the best job they've ever done.

From his end, the comic is raising funds through 'Vir Das At Home' where he performs for an audience online.

"We are going to need to smile now more than ever and for a while. If you're a funny person, this is the time to do your job. The best you've ever done it... I'm trying to focus on fundraising. I'm doing a show every night on Zoom call where the proceeds are going to different charities.

"This lockdown won't affect the privileged as much. We have got to do our part. So my main focus during the lockdown is to try and raise money," Das told PTI.

Before the pandemic brought everything to a standstill, Das had planned a world tour of 29 countries, which naturally got pushed.

There has been a lot of conversation about how the way people consume entertainment stands to change post coronavirus.

As a comic, who is used to performing in front of a large gathering, Das feels the impact will be there for sometime, but eventually, the urge to laugh will gather people together.

"Those are the things that come and go. From court jesters, impressionists, Jaspal Bhatti, Johnny Lever to us and the people who come after us, the urge to sit in a room and laugh with each other together, will always find a way back. That I'm not so worried about."
The actor had written a pilot, nearly three years ago, and taken it to the "Kal Ho Naa Ho" director who felt it was funny but needed "more darkness and gravity."
"But the first time I got a laugh was when I went on stage and yelled at a bunch of people. I was 22, life wasn't going well, I couldn't make rent, girls weren't talking to me and I yelled out all of that stuff."
"He's a passive, underconfident character surrounded by these loud maniacs. That's what makes him frustrated and pop when he murders. He's only ever free when he murders or is on stage."