'Joked about Congress for years...': Vir Das on 'targeting' BJP
What's the story
Stand-up comedian Vir Das has defended his right to make political satire after a social media user accused him of only criticizing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The user said they had never seen Das questioning the governments of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, or Delhi. In response, Das stated he has made jokes about every leader in power long before this government and will continue to do so.
Defense
'Will be doing them long after for the next one'
Das wrote, "Ha! Sir. I did jokes about the Congress on primetime television every night for seven years. Done jokes, songs, sketches, about every single leader in power long before this government." "Will be doing them long after for the next one. In any sensible society, with power comes parody. Accept that and move the hell on." The exchange quickly gained attention on social media with several users supporting Das and praising him for standing by political satire.
Recent post
What else did Das say?
Das's defense of political satire came after he posted about the importance of questioning leadership during an economic crisis. He wrote, "In the near future, as this economic crisis unfolds, it's going to be important for us to ask questions of our leadership." "When you do, your replies and your timeline will be flooded with hate and attacks. Don't take it personally, it simply means the question was a really good one."
Career update
Meanwhile, on the work front
Das was last seen in the spy-action comedy Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. The film, which he co-directed with Kavi Shastri under Aamir Khan Productions, also starred Mithila Palkar, Mona Singh, Sharib Hashmi, and Srushti Tawade. It marked Imran Khan's return to the screen after over a decade but failed to impress audiences much. The film reportedly collected only ₹7.36cr worldwide at the box office, but it did earn kudos for its experimental comedy.