Comedian and actor Vir Das to perform at Lobero
“It’s easy enough to make people laugh. Truly great artists make you feel like you know them,” said Vir Das, a comedian from India.
Vir Das says there are two things you should expect from comedians such as himself.
“I should make you laugh, irrespective of who you are,” the comedian from India told the News-Press. “And do you know the artist by the end of the time they’re on stage?
“It’s easy enough to make people laugh. Truly great artists make you feel like you know them. That’s something I strive in my standup,” said Mr. Das, who has starred in four standup comedy specials since 2017 on Netflix. His fifth one, which he recently taped before an audience of 2,000 people at New York University, will premiere in December on the streaming service.
The new special is called “Wanted,” and that’s also the name of the show Mr. Das will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara.
The show is inspired by Mr. Das’ return to India after his performances in America.
“It chronicles the Indian upbringing — what our values are and how they apply to the rest of the world,” Mr. Das explained.
“The one thing I value the most about Indian culture is our approach to family,” he said, noting that when children grow up, they invite their parents to live with them. “It’s honorable.”
He created “Wanted” after his “Two Indias” show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., went viral.
Mr. Das, who was born in Mumbai, India, and grew up in Nigeria, is known for his leading roles in Bollywood films and his standup comedy performances around the world. And he acted on the ABC spy dramedy “Whiskey Cavalier,” the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” and the Netflix series “Hasmokh,” which he created and executive-produced.
He added that he’s starring in two upcoming movies — an action story and a comedy — for the American market. He’s also writing one of those films.
Vir Das will perform “Wanted,” his new standup comedy show, Thursday at the Lobero Theatre.
“I always wanted to be an actor,” Mr. Das said.
He added that his comedy finds truths that cross cultures.
“It’s understanding that we’re pretty much the same,” he said.
“You have some version of what I have in my life,” Mr. Das said, referring to family members, friends and people in general that he grew up with.
“We’ve all lived in a pandemic together. There has never been a more common global ground,” he said. “We all got the same COVID tests.”
When asked further about America, Mr. Das said. “I think apart from the election results, I’m surprised every year by how much Americans know about the rest of the world.
“The whole idea that America doesn’t know the world isn’t valid,” he said, repeating, “We’ve never had more common global ground.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
Vir Das will perform “Wanted,” his new standup comedy show, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $53.75. To purchase, go to lobero.org or call the theater at 805-963-07621.
