Vir Das | Biography, Family, Struggles, Movies, Controversy

Know more about Vir Das. Keep reading & get information about Vir Das’s age, family, biography, relationships, career, interesting facts, recent work, & more.

Profile Summary

Table of Contents

• Biography
• Get celebrities like Vir Das for Appearances & Endorsements today!
• Family and Education
• Wife/Husband
• Career
• Stand-up Specials
• Movies and TV Shows
• Career Timeline
• Struggles
• Controversies
• Net Worth
• Awards
• Interesting Facts about Vir Das

Vir Das Biography

Vir Das is an Indian comedian and actor best known for his standup comedy. He was born in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, on May 31, 1979. Due to business, his entire family moved to Nigeria after his birth. He received early education at the Indian Language School in Lagos, Nigeria. After the fifth Nigerian President was assassinated and a state of emergency was declared nationwide, his family later moved from Nigeria to India. 

After returning to India, he began hosting and appearing in comedy shows such as 'The Great Indian Comedy Show.' He made his film debut in the Bollywood drama 'Namastey London,' playing a minor role. He then starred as the lead in the film 'Mumbai Salsa.' He has appeared in numerous Bollywood films over the years, including 'Delhi Belly,' 'Go Goa Gone,' 'Shaadi ke Side Effects,' and '31st October.' He was also seen in the action thriller film 'Shivaay,' directed and produced by Ajay Devgn, who also played the lead role. Most recently, he made an appearance in the Amazon Prime Video series 'Call Me Bae.'

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Vir Das Family and Education

Vir Das was born on 31 May 1979. Vir Das's age as of 2024 is 45 years. His zodiac sign is Gemini. Vir Das is from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. His father is Ranu Das, and his mother is Madhura Das. He was born in India and raised in Nigeria before relocating to the US to pursue his higher education. Vir finished his high school and intermediate studies at The Lawrence School Himachal in Sanawar, and Delhi Public School, Noida, after moving to India.

For his graduation he travelled to the US where he attended Knox College in Galesburg Illinois where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics. His theatre studies from this college also gave him the opportunity to join the Stanislavsky Program of the Moscow Arts Theater. After five years of dating Vir Das and Shivani Mathur were wed in October 2014.

Vir Das Wife

Vir Das and Shivani Mathur

On October 24, 2014, comedian Vir Das secretly wed his girlfriend, Shivani Kapoor, in a ceremony on a secluded beach in Sri Lanka. For five years, the actor and comedian had been dating the event planner. There were around 100 guests including childhood friends. The majority of them were comedians and they all entered the stage and delivered a few jokes. Vir Das told Mumbai Mirror 'I wrote my bride a song and performed it live to loud cheers' adding that he and his wife are now back to their regular routine.

The couple announced their marriage much later even though it took place in October 2014. "We'll throw our close associates a party in Mumbai. Additionally, I want to take a honeymoon in May. The no-cellphone rule will be enforced once more." Vir joked to Mirror. The wedding included a rock concert, a sangeet ceremony, and the 'pheras,' as well as a pool party, IANS was told by a source.

Vir Das’s Career

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Das's film career began in 2007 with the release of the Bollywood film 'Namaste London'. He had a minor part to play in this movie. The following year 2007, saw the release of Mumbai Salsa in which he portrayed the character of Rajiv. In the 2009 movie, 'Love Aaj Kal,' he played the role of Shanty. Then in the 2010 movie Badmaash Company he played Chandu. In the 2011 movie, 'Delhi Belly,' he played the role of Arup.

The film proved to be a watershed moment in his career with both critics and audiences praising his performance. Das has also appeared in blockbusters such as 'Go Goa Gone,' 'Shadi Ke Side Effects,' 'Revolver Rani,' 'Mastizaade,' 'Santa Banta,' 'Raakh' and 'Shivaay'. Das has also made appearances on popular shows such as 'Mumbai Calling' and 'Koffee With Karan.' He starred as the lead in Netflix's popular web series 'Hasmukh'.

Vir Das began his stand-up comedy career with a performance titled 'Walking on Broken Das' at one of New Delhi's premier hotels. Das began his television career by hosting two Zoom shows. The first was 'Is Route Ki Sabhin Linein Maast Hain' in which he portrayed an agony uncle. The second was his own late-night stand-up comedy show. Das also hosted Star World's 'Top Drive - Getaway.' Das has appeared on several comedic television shows. 'Cricket Firsts,' a sports comedy show on Zee Sports (now TEN Action+), was hosted by him. On SAB TV's 'Lo Kar Lo Baat,' he performed improvised comedy.

Vir Das is well-known for his standup comedy both domestically and internationally. He has performed stand-up comedy in many Netflix specials. He has performed stand-up comedy on the Netflix series 'Virdas: Outside In,' 'For India,' 'Losing It,' and 'Abroad Understanding.' Vir Das has performed in 35 plays, 100 stand-up comedy performances, 18 motion pictures, 8 TV shows, and 6 comedy specials to date. Additionally, Vir has written humorous columns for Tehelka, DNA, Exotic, Femina, and Maxim. He has worked in the American television series 'Whiskey Cavalier,' in addition to Indian television. With this programme he made his TV debut in the United States.

Vir Das’s Stand-Up Specials

Vir Das: Losing It

PlayIn this stand-up special Vir Das discusses travel, religion, his childhood and more. The world has many problems but Vir Das has many solutions.

Vir Das: Abroad Understanding

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In two cleverly crosscut performances in New York and New Delhi, comedian Vir Das tackles nationalism, globalism, good food, and bad politics.

Vir Das: For India

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From the Vedas to Vasco de Gama to vacuous Bollywood plotlines, comedian Vir Das celebrates India's history from a unique perspective.

Vir Das’s Best Movies and TV shows

Hasmukh

PlayThe long-awaited big break of a shy small-town comedian takes a dark turn when he realises that the only way to maintain his stage presence is to commit murder. Nikhil Gonsalves is the director of the Indian dark comedy series Hasmukh which also stars Vir Das, Ranvir Shorey, Amrita Bagchi, Ravi Kishan, Inaamulhaq, and Manoj Pahwa. The Netflix version of Hasmukh debuted on April 17, 2020.

Go Goa Gone

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Luv (Vir Das) and Hardik (Kunal Khemu) two friends are going through difficult times. Hardik is this close to losing his job and Luv has discovered that his girlfriend has been cheating on him. They both desperately need a break so when they learn that Bunny (Anand Tiwari),  their roommate will be travelling to Goa for a presentation they seize the opportunity. 

Once in Goa, Luv meets a woman named Luna (Pooja Gupta), who extends an invitation to him to attend a rave party that the Russian mafia has planned on a secluded island. A new experimental drug is introduced at the gathering. Then in the morning everything completely goes wrong for the girl and the three unfortunate guys. It turns out that the untested medication has a side effect.

Badmaa$h Company

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Badmaash Company takes place in middle-class Bombay in 1994. After graduating from college Karan (Shahid Kapoor), Bulbul (Anushka Sharma), Zing (Meiyang Chang), and Chandu (Vir Das) decide to start a 'business' bringing illegal foreign goods into India in order to get around the country's high import taxes. They start out by smuggling expensive foreign goods into Bangkok under the name 'Friends and Company' and go on to make a sizable fortune doing so.

The friends decide to travel to America after the Indian government decides to lower the import tax on packaged goods from abroad. Although Karan and Bulbul fall in love, the group starts to disintegrate as a result of Karan's excessive greed. Zing is initially made fun of by Karan after which Zing departs.

After that Bulbul is kept in the dark and Chandu finally leaves because he needs to unwind. However, Karan is eventually detained and released after six months. Once he decides to live honestly, he reconciles with Bulbul, who it is later discovered to be expecting his child. Then he recovers Zing and Chandu, as well as saving his uncle from a significant financial loss. By the time 'Friends and Company' becomes a publicly traded company Karan has accomplished all of his goals.

Namastey London

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To the dismay of her Asian father, Jasmeet leads a very British lifestyle filled with work, nightclubs and boyfriends. He brings her to India under the guise of a vacation to his hometown village in an effort to arrange a marriage. Yes, she does eventually marry Arjun, but only so she can return to London in safety. 

She declares upon arrival that she is unfamiliar with the wedding and resumes her relationship with her English boss, Charlie Brown, while Arjun who has followed her to London genuinely wants her to become his real wife. Vir Das stars in a small role in the film as one of Jasmeet's potential suitors.

Shaadi Ke Side Effects

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Up until they learn they are expecting a child, Sid and Trisha are a happy married couple. Both of them, especially Sid, are completely altered by this. Up until he learns a secret to success in family life from a friend, who is renowned for his excellent performances as a father and a husband, Sid's life gets harder and more monotonous by the day. He starts to adopt a two-way lifestyle and starts to follow his example. 

He is a wonderful father and husband in public but in private he is living the single life he used to love. Up until a stranger enters their life everything is perfect. From that point on Sid's marriage is headed for failure. For the benefit of his child he makes every effort to preserve it. He at last realizes how significant his wife and child are to him.

31st October

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The Sikh Security Guards of the Indian Prime Minister assassinate her on October 31, 1984. Politicians exploit this incident to incite racial animosity against Sikhs and portray them as traitors. As their city burns, Devender Singh and his family are confined to their home. Devender's family seeks assistance from their Hindu friends who live across the town after experiencing 24 hours of unsettling oscillations, helplessness, and their relatives passing away, and neighbours turning hostile.

In their quest to save Devender's family Pal Tilak and Yogesh encounter the annihilation of humanity. They see the bloodshed and moral decay that turns men into savages. To transport Devender's family to safety Pal Tilak and Yogesh must first confront their own demons.

In this historical drama Vir Das performed to the max. It's a shame that virtually everything—including the direction, pacing, writing and other aspects were not up to the mark. 

Call Me Bae

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Vir Das's latest work, Amazon Prime's new series Call Me Bae is making waves with its fresh and engaging storyline. The show revolves around Bae, a dynamic fashionista who finds herself navigating the high-stakes world of fashion and romance. Vir Das, known for his comedic brilliance and versatile acting, takes on a significant role in this series. He plays a key character, Satyajit Sen, who adds a unique blend of charm and humor, enriching the narrative and providing a delightful counterpoint to the lead's journey. Call Me Bae promises a mix of drama, comedy, and fashion, with Das’s performance being a standout element that enhances the series' appeal. The series stars Ananya Panday in the lead role along with actors Vihaan Samat, Varun Sood, Muskkaan Jaferi among others.

Vir Das’s Career Timeline

Vir Das’s Struggles

Vir Das shared about his life in the US in 2002 by posting on Instagram. He wrote an agonizing account of his past experiences including his financial struggles, failure to pay his rent, working three jobs, and struggle to eke out a living in Chicago.

"My lowest point might have been Chicago in 2002. No insurance, was late on rent, was about to get evicted, credit card collection agents calling and threatening me daily, and crying outside an ATM at 2 AM with 8$ in my account. ATM lets you draw only 20. Three jobs, one unpaid internship, one paid in cash and always late, and one on commissions which I never made because I was a brown dude selling knives door to door the year after 9/11."

Vir Das continued saying, "I was a horrid flatmate. I distinctly remember using my flatmate’s shampoo and then filling water in it so they wouldn’t notice, doing the same thing with their orange juice. Some nights when the theatre company I worked at closed, I would use the building code and sneak back into the office to sleep where it was warm and the entire office was kind enough to pretend they hadn’t seen me do it on CCTV."

Vir Das Controversies

Vir Das 'I Come From Two Indias' Controversy

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Vir Das found himself in trouble after posting a video on YouTube with the title 'I come from two Indias.' His most recent performance at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC included the video. The six-minute video discusses India's dual nature and the various problems the country is currently facing. The video sparked a heated discussion on social media. The actor-turned-comedian was criticized by some politicians and internet users for 'insulting India.'

7 Important Phrases From 'I Come from Two Indias' by Vir Das

• "I come from an India where we worship women during the day and gang-rape them during the night."
• "I come from an India that is Hindu and Muslim and Christian and Sikh and Parsi and Jew and when we all look up at the sky we only see one thing together – the price of petrol."
• "I come from an India that has the largest working population under 30 on the planet but still listens to 75-year-old leaders with 150-year-old ideas."
• "I come from an India where journalism is supposedly dead because men in fancy suits in studios give each other handjobs and yet women on the road with laptops are still telling the truth." 
• "I come from an India where we bleed blue every time we play green. But every time we lose to green we turn orange all of a sudden."
• "I come from an India where we kicked out the British but yet we call the government the ruling party."
• "I come from an India where we scoff at sexuality and yet fuck till we reach a billion people."

When Vir Encountered Difficulties With The Police As A Result Of His Jokes

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Vir Das spoke with Canadian comic Lilly Singh about a time when his jokes got him into trouble with the law. Vir was performing a show in Delhi when he made a joke about the late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India. Police quickly descended upon the stadium after someone in the crowd found the joke offensive.

Actor-comedian Vir Das became 'upset' when police in this city interrupted his stand-up comedy performance while he was trying to parody the late Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. He wrote an open letter in response to the incident. On April 25, Vir was performing 'UnbelievabLISH ' a new sketch as part of his Unbelievable Tour at the Siri Fort Auditorium when a man asked him to stop talking about Kalam.

When A Police Report Was Filed Against Sunny Leone And Vir Das

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A police report was made against the lead actors Sunny Leone and Vir Das after the 2016 release of Mastizaade. The complaint claimed that the actors in the film were very crudely promoting condoms inside a temple.

Milap Zaveri is the director of Mastizaade. In contrast to Vir Das and Tusshar Kapoor, Sunny Leone has two roles in the film. Viveik Vaswani, Suresh Menon, and Shaad Randhawa, all have supporting parts. On January 29, 2016, the movie was released.

Vir Das’s Networth and Income

Vir Das has had a difficult year but at least he has millions of dollars to help him through it. With an estimated $46 million in total earnings at the age of 45 years reportedly. The monthly income is reportedly around 10 to 50 Lakhs per month.

Vir Das Awards and Achievements

Vir Das Interesting Facts

• At his alma mater Knox College in Illinois Vir Das received an honorary doctorate in 2021. It's an honour from a prestigious international educational institution that very few Indian artists have received.
• Early in 2016, it was announced that Vir Das had signed with one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, CAA, in Los Angeles becoming the first Indian comedian to do so. After Priyanka, Chopra Vir Das was the second Indian to sign with CAA. Shortly after, he became the first Indian comedian to sign with Levity for his comedy work, a name that is associated with Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, and many other names in the comedy space.
• In 2017, Vir Das was listed in Variety Magazine's coveted list of the top 10 comedians to watch for. Variety Magazine compiles a list of the world's most in-demand comedians every year.
• As the first Indian to ever sign a deal with Netflix for a comedy special with 'Abroad Understanding,' Vir Das made history. This comedy special, which was shot in New York and New Delhi, was broadcast on Netflix in more than 100 nations. 'Abroad Understanding' rose to prominence on Netflix as one of its most popular and lucrative programmes. Losing It his most recent special was also well-received throughout the world.
• In 2017, Vir Das made history by embarking on the first-ever world tour by a comedian visiting 32 nations on 6 continents. The 'Boarding Das Tour' was the largest world tour undertaken by an Indian comedian to date.
• Upon being asked how he got into stand-up comedy, Vir Das stated "In the United States, I was in a very serious acting programme. It has a 'sit in a circle and cry all day' vibe to it. I wanted something a little more rebellious and organic so I began writing jokes. I knew I was hooked for life the first time a joke landed and I got a laugh.'

Get Celebrities Like Vir Das for Appearances & Endorsements Today!

We pride ourselves on offering the lowest prices in the industry, without compromising on talent. Whether you need a Bollywood actor or actress, a chart-topping musician, or social media influencers, we can connect you with the perfect celebrity—all at a fraction of the cost of our competitors.

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• Celebrity Brand Ambassador
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