It's been 40 days since Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, has created havoc in cinema halls. While Aditya Dhar's spy action thriller is holding steady just as it awaits the release of its part two on March 19, actor-comic Vir Das is attempting to sail his offbeat ship of a film, Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos in the Dhurandhar storm.
Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos stars Vir Das in the titular role of an aspiring 'British' spy sent to India for a confidential assignment. This funky spy comedy also marks his directorial debut alongside Kavi Shastri. Vir Das has co-written the movie, backed by Aamir Khan Productions, with Amogh Ranadive.
Asked how he feels his directorial debut will fare at a time when cinemas have yet to had their fill of Dhurandhar, Vir Das told NDTV that what will work in the favour of Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos is its genre.
"No matter what happens in the mainstream genre, the appetite for comedy never goes down. It's the most consumable genre in the world right now. Every stand-up club in India is running full. Comedy videos are the number one performing videos on YouTube.
"People want to laugh more than they want to get angry and cry. When you're done with your seriousness, come into the theatre, let us lighten your mood a little bit..." he said, adding he will watch Dhurandhar soon.
Vir Das, also an International Emmy-winning comic, said he has full faith in the comedy-watching audiences who are "accustomed to leaving their house" for stand-up shows every now and then.
"If you think about it, you don't leave your house for action and drama that much. But when you are watching comedy with people in a theatre, it's another kind of experience. Comedy is a collective human experience.
"That's why, say from a Zakir Khan, a Ricky Gervais to me, we are able to pack up these rooms because people really want to sit in a room with others and laugh. There will also be an audience for comedy. It might not be massive, but it exists," he added.
The multihyphenate also believes that "college students and Instagram and YouTube audiences" are entirely underserved by theatrical comedy.
"Largely theatrical comedies tend to be these tentpole, very broad comedies. But that Delhi Belly or Go Goa Gone audience, you got to make comedies for them too, they are massive."
Why should people watch Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos in theatres?
To this, Vir Das replied, "India is full of bhaari cinema. My film is halki cinema, bhaari laughter. It is a sweet story as well and at some level, the core of the story is what it means to be an Indian today. It is an outsider learning that in the sweetest possible way. It's got a heart too."
He is currently working on a horror movie next.
Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos also stars Mona Singh, Mithila Palkar, Imran Khan, Sharib Hashmi and Srushti Tawade with Aamir Khan in an extended cameo.
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