Vir Das on hosting International Emmy Awards: ‘Jokes will be a mix of US election, world events’

Becoming first Indian to host International Emmys, actor-comic Vir Das on how he’ll soon begin writing the material and the pressure of getting it right
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 16, 2024)

Last year, Vir Das bagged the International Emmy for Best Comedy for his special, Vir Das: Landing. Come November 25, the actor-comic will head back to the prestigious gala in New York—this time as the host. With this, he becomes the first Indian to achieve the feat. It’s quite an honour, but Das says he is “pretty chill” about it.

“We just announced it, but I’ve known about it for a few months. The expectations are high and I’ll celebrate if I get it right. I’m now starting to put pressure on myself. I’ll write it myself. The jokes will be a mix of things—it will be a few weeks after the American elections, enough things would’ve happened in the world. Plus, there will be many nominees and content makers in the audience whom I want to talk about. I want to get something like this absolutely right,” he shares.

It has been an eventful month for Das, who also featured in Call Me Bae, led by Ananya Panday. Creating the character of TRP-hungry news anchor for the Collin D’Cunha-directed series was deeply satisfying.

“I’m not the first person you think of when you think of a Dharma show. I didn’t want to make my character a YouTube sketch version of a journalist. So, Collin and I decided to make him a badass when he is in front of the camera; he can deliver lines. But we made him an idiot off camera. I played it with authenticity and a little bit of menace.”

Tell him the references for his news anchor act are obvious, and he says, “My first job was at CNBC. So, I’ve been in the newsroom long enough to know how journalists operate. At the core, he idolizes and resents privilege at the same time. He wants to wear Prada, but he also hates people in Prada.” 

His next is a yet-untitled film that he has directed with Kavi Shastri for Aamir Khan Productions. Did he enjoy direction? “This project is the toughest and the most fun thing I’ve ever done. I fell in love with it, like I did with stand-up comedy. Now, I want to try and write the next five things I star in. I want to start doing what an Adam Sandler or a Ben Stiller does, which is creating projects. Also, I want to play a dark villain in a movie.”
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Set to host the upcoming International Emmy Awards, becoming the first Indian to do so, Vir Das just hopes to do his ‘thing and be authentic’
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 16, 2024)

Vir Das is making a grand return to the International Emmys. Last year, he won the Comedy award for his special Landing, but this time, the comedian-actor is set to make history as the first Indian to host the event on November 25.

“I won the Emmy last year, and after about four months, the team got in touch and said they wanted me to do this (host the event). I have known about it for a while, they just did the announcement now. It is a ridiculous privilege, to go from being a nominee, to becoming a category winner, to now hosting it. It is not something I expected. I didn’t even expect a nomination for my work last year. But, I am letting the people around me rejoice for now. I will only celebrate once the job is done,” Das tells us.

The 45-year-old is known for his tongue-in-cheek humour. But while hosting an event like the International Emmys, will he think twice before saying anything on stage, given some instances at such dos when jokes by stand-up artistes weren’t taken well? For instance, actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock during the Academy Awards in 2022.

Das says, “I am yet to start working on my script. But what’s funny is funny, no matter where you are in the world. Sensibilities might change. Anybody who got into trouble never thought they would. You can just do your thing and be authentic. Whatever happens then, happens,” quips Das.

He adds, “Let alone think twice before saying something on stage, I don’t even think once.”