Very few actors in the country can boast of a comic timing as good as his. He's witty, multi-talented and unlike most celebrities, not always politically correct. On a good day, you might even catch him trolling his detractors online (and how!), with Yo Mamma jokes and puns. For Vir Das, comedy is serious business. Whether it's films or stand-up, he has proved his mettle in comedy. But now he wants to widen his repertoire. In a conversation with BT, the actor talks about being pigeonholed as a comedian and why he is trying to break the mould.

In 31st October and your short film Raakh, you've experimented with serious as well as negative shades. Are you trying to break the stereotype of a funny guy?
Yes, it's a conscious effort. But the comedy isn't going to stop anytime soon. I want to try things that I'm not an expert at. I'll stumble but learn something new. I also want to show people that I'm a diverse artiste, who can make unpredictable choices. I took the decision to break out of my comfort zone and do different kinds of roles, a year ago. In fact, in the last five days, I've been offered seven villainous roles! I'm definitely going to choose one.

Do you think the audience will accept you in such roles?
I don't concern myself too much with my reputation because it isn't in my control. I have learned this the hard way - my talent belongs to me but my reputation belongs to other people. If I want to increase my arsenal as an actor, I have to keep experimenting. Luckily, I've got a good response for Raakh. 31st October didn't do well at the box office because it was stuck for a year-and-a-half and about 30 per cent of the film was butchered by the Censor Board. But I got the best acting reviews for it. It's going to be many more years till people completely accept me in different kinds of roles. But it's a good start. Having said that, whenever a high-concept comedy is written in India, I am one of the first five actors to read it. It's a privilege that I don't want to give up.

How do you juggle your stand-up shows and films?
In 2017, I will probably do six months of films and six months of stand-up. Thankfully, I enjoy both. Stand-up is humbling. No matter how big a star you are, when you go on a stage, you better be funny. The audience will give you only two minutes and then judge you.

Given the current scenario, do you restrict yourself while writing for your shows?
I don't believe in censorship. I trust my judgement. I am an intelligent, patriotic guy and have a decent moral compass. I assume whatever I write will fall within the boundaries of what is acceptable. I don't make fun of sick people or the elderly. I think the worst thing that can happen to a comedian is when the audience doesn't laugh at his jokes. You don't need the government or the Censor Board to punish us for bad jokes.

Do you think we've become too sensitive as a society?
You could put a picture of two roses on stage, and even that will offend someone. You can't censor comedy; it will find its way out. The only solution is to do more comedy. You have to keep doing it till people understand that you are not supposed to take it seriously. So, I'm not afraid of the consequences.

You're the first Indian to have his own comedy special on Netflix...
I'm nervous. I just want to say the right things because I don't think such a large audience across the world will have ever seen Indian comedy before. This is the first time 120 countries will be watching humour from the Indian perspective. I want to get that right, so I'm rewriting and rehearsing. This has been the best year of my career as it has allowed me to make unpredictable choices.

Unlike most celebrities, you don't take kindly to trolls on social media and often get back at them.
Once every three months, I take a day off and have a nice fight on Twitter! If people can have fun at my expense, I can also have fun at theirs. It's the only free stand-up show I will ever do. I reject the notion of being a celebrity. I'm an artiste. So, I will say what I want to say on social media.