Complaints filed against Vir Das for recent monologue, comedian reacts
What's the story
Two police complaints have been filed against comedian-actor Vir Das for using "derogatory language" against India during a monologue delivered during a live event in the US recently. This happened after a snippet from Das's monologue, titled Two Indias, went viral on the internet. On Tuesday, the performer, who is currently stationed in America, also gave out a statement on the backlash.
Context
Why does it matter?
Das performed at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He shared the nearly seven-minute-long clip of the monologue on Instagram, which covered several heated topics in India at present— farmers' protests, petrol prices, political happenings, and rape incidents. Parts of the rhetoric went viral, inviting massive backlash. Reacting to it, the 42-year-old said, "Please do not be fooled by edited snippets."
Statement
'I take pride in my country, and I carry that'
In his explanatory post, the Delhi Belly actor wrote, "The video is a satire about the duality of two very separate India's that do different things. Like any nation has light and dark, good and evil within it...The video appeals for us to never forget that we are great." "I take pride in my country, and I carry that pride across the world."
Lambast
Kangana Ranaut opined 'strict action' must be taken against Das
Actress Kangana Ranaut criticized Das on Instagram. Reacting to his show, the Queen star said, "When you [generalize] all Indian men as gang-rapists it gives rise and encouragement to racism and bullying against Indians all over the world." Tagging Das as a "criminal," she demanded "strict actions." Social media also seemed divided on the issue, with some supporting the comedian and others opining otherwise.
Twitter Post
Kapil Sibal came out in the comedian's support
Vir Das
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) November 17, 2021
None can doubt that there are two India’s
Just that we don’t want an Indian to tell the world about it
We are intolerant and hypocritical
Complaints
At least two complaints have been filed in Mumbai, Delhi
As is evident from Twitter, Advocate Ashutosh Dubey, who is the legal advisor of BJP Maharashtra Palghar district, has lodged one complaint with the Mumbai Police. "He wilfully spelled inciting & derogatory statements against India, Indian women, & the PM of India (sic)," he wrote. The other complaint came in earlier this morning at Tilak Marg Police Station in Delhi, reported news agency ANI.