Vir Das calls himself 'expensive extra' in 'Love Aaj Kal'
What's the story
Actor-comedian Vir Das recently revealed that he was offered a whopping ₹8 lakh for his inconsequential role in the 2009 film Love Aaj Kal. Speaking to Mid-Day, he said, "I was the most expensive background extra in history." He added that he accepted the role because he was financially struggling at the time. The film starred Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.
Role details
The actor's take on the background role
Das shared, "I really needed cash as I was very cash-strapped. That's when I was offered Love Aaj Kal." "I was told that I had to come in for one scene and then be a background extra for the rest of the scenes. I said, 'I'll take it. I need money right now.'" He also revealed that director Imtiaz Ali had warned him about the limited scope of his role in advance.
Payment details
Das explained his role in detail
Das explained his role in the film, saying, "If you watch, I have one scene in the movie and in the song Can We Twist, there's a dude dancing on this side of Saif and there's a dude dancing on that side of Saif." "One is me and the other is Kavi Shastri, who's now my co-director." "I got put up in London and I got paid ₹8 lakh man!"
Career progression
His 'Delhi Belly' experience
Das also shared that he got his role in Delhi Belly while shooting for Love Aaj Kal. "I was in London and was wondering, 'What am I doing here? I am like the bouquet in the background!'" "Then my agent called me at 3:00am and told me that I had bagged Delhi Belly." Meanwhile, since then, Das has become one of India's biggest stand-up comedians, with five Netflix stand-up specials. In 2023, he won the International Emmy Award for Comedy.