This Article is From Apr 27, 2015

Vir Das Writes Open Letter After Cops Show up At Delhi Gig

Vir Das Writes Open Letter After Cops Show up At Delhi Gig
New Delhi: Comedian Vir Das' stand up show in Delhi on April 25 had the cops show up midway. They weren't there for the jokes.

The 35-year-old actor and comic performed his new show UnbelievabLISH at the Siri Fort Auditorium, which included a sketch involving former President Abdul Kalam. After the show, Vir tweeted:
 

The 'writing' took the form of an open letter which he posted on his Facebook page. It began thus: "Dear Under the influence of influence, I'm a fool. On my best and worst day that's the largest compliment I can receive. If you go home thinking "What an idiot" I've done my job. Being an idiot however, doesn't make me a criminal."

In the letter, Vir explains how a male member of the audience walked into his dressing room in the interval and told him not to joke about the former President. As Vir tells it, the police showed up 20 minutes into the second half of his show, allegedly summoned by a complaint over the phone.

To quote Voltaire or say 'if you don't like it, don't attend the show,' would be immature, writes Vir, suggesting instead that, "If you don't like it, please attend the show, and tell me why you don't like it, and as an artist I will absorb that and do what I can with it, always respectfully."

He also writes: "The next time you don't like a show, leave, or ask for your money back. The next time you call the cops, make sure a crime has been committed. The next time you see 1989 people laughing all around you, try and join them. The next time an artist is in your city, if you really truly want to see him/her, put your cell phone down and buy a ticket. The next time you file a Police Complaint that shuts down a show and scares the shit out of people...have the courage to stick around. The next time I'm in town, if you're a powerful, influential person....please just don't come."

In January, comedy collective AIB took the videos of a Roast of actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor offline after backlash that included social media criticism, the Maharashtra government announcing it would investigate the Roast for obscenity, and FIRs filed against several people involved in the 90-minute long insult comedy show.
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