New Delhi: Vir Das issued a statement on Tuesday, clarifying that his intentions behind the comments that he made on India in his "I come from two Indias" monolgue were not meant to insult the country.
Vir Das is known for his satirical remarks. The actor's latest video of his performance at the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington DC is going viral on social media. In the video, the performer begins by saying that he is tempted to make a video of the event but then he is reminded of the fact that he comes from India.
Vir talks about the dualities of the country, emphasising on some of the most topical issues faced by India. He draws attention to rape culture, the battle against COVID-19, comedians being arrested for their comments and the ensuing farmers' protest. The actor mentions in the video, "I come from an India that will watch this and say, this is not comedy. Where is the goddamn joke? Yet I come from an India that will watch this knowing there is a gigantic joke, it just isn't funny."
See the video here:
Ever since the video was uploaded on Monday, it has gone viral on social media. A section on Twitter posted clips from his monologue, specifically parts where he says,"I come from an India where we worship women during the day and rape them at night."
Taking to his Twitter handle, the actor said that he intended to remind his audience that despite its flaws, the country was great. Here's the tweet:
"There has been a sizeable reaction to a video I posted on YouTube. the video is a satire about the duality of two very seperate India's that do different things. Like any nation has light and dark, good and evil within it. None of this is a secret.
The video appeals to us to never forget that we are great. To never stop focusing on what makes us great. It ends in a gigantic patriotic round of applause we all love, believe in, and are proud of. That there is more to our country than the headlines, a deep beauty. THAT'S the point of the video and reason for the applause.
Please do not be fooled by edited snippets.
People cheer for India with hope, not hate. People clap for India with respect, not malice. You cannot sell tickets, earn applause or represent a great people with negativity, only with pride.
I take pride in my country, and I carry that pride across the world. To me, a room full of people anywhere in the world, giving India an ovation is pure love.
I ask of you, the same thing, I asked of that audience.....to focus on the light, remember our greatness and spread the love," wrote Vir Das.
Stay tuned for more updates!