Vir Das talks about scripting his first regional language comedy, Hasmukh
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 6, 2018)

Even though he took to social media to announce the venture in May, Vir Das hadn't revealed until now that he has also co-written the script of Hasmukh, the dark thriller with a pinch of humour. This feat marks Das's first attempt at writing comedy in the Hindi language, given that the actor-comedian has helmed English-based acts until now.

Talking about the Nikkhil Advani-directed venture, Das says, "I am familiar with the [Hindi] language, and have consumed a great amount of content [in it]. But, to write in it is a different ball game altogether. I have not been averse to it, but have never had the opportunity to write comedy, especially stand-up, in Hindi."

Aware that comedy banks heavily on punch-lines, which can often be language-specific, Das says, "Some jokes have a better impact when used in certain languages. As comedians and writers, we have to adapt to that. Writing comedy needs a deep understanding of the pulse of the markets [that use it]. Since India is a culturally diverse country, everyone has a different sensibility." Das also points out that the use of the Hindi language has increasingly made its way into Indian comedy shows.