Vir Das Reflects On His Early Days In Bollywood And Why He Envies Nepo Kids
Updated on: 06 August, 2025 01:58 PM IST |Shweta Shah
Comedian Vir Das shares why he is envious of nepo kids
Comedian Vir Das has been soaring high after his Netflix special `Fool Volume` became a massive hit and garnered immense love. He has been on an interview spree, and fans are loving this candid and unfiltered side of him.
Vir recently sat down with Mid-day`s Sit With Hitlist and reflected on many things, including his early acting days, why Bollywood is a real struggle for outsiders, and why nepo kids have it easy.
He even shared how the film Rang De Basanti was a turning point for him as an actor and recalled his debut film failure.
How did Rang De Basanti change Vir Das?
After watching Aamir Khan`s patriotic drama, the comedian said, "So I`m a trained actor. I was in the theatre. When I saw Rang De Basanti at Regal. And I`m sitting there going, Look at Aamir Khan sharing space with this ensemble. And look at how well Sharman came out in that. How well Madhavan also came out in that, etc. They`re not just heroes` friends. Look at how much justice they did to all of these characters. There might be space for someone like me."
For the uninitiated, Das made his Bollywood debut in Vikram Bhatt`s Mumbai Salsa, a movie that was a huge box office disappointment. He recalled how the first day first show of his first film was cancelled.
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Also Read: Vir Das Shares An Emotional Picture With Shah Rukh Khan
"The first day, first show, I went with my family. Friday night show. I was the lead. Cancelled. Because only six people showed up. I still remember how I bagged that film. I had gone to audition for the third hero. Vikram Bhatt was there, and I`m like, Here`s my stand-up DVD for a special I shot at Habitat. And I got the auto pulled up in Bandra, and I got a call from him saying, Bro, you`re the hero of the movie," Vir recalled.
He further revealed an interesting chapter of his life and shared, "And so that was Manoj Tyagi who directed it. But it was something I did alongside CNBC. I`d shoot at night, and you know, those were the two things. Didn`t work out. That was going to be my Bollywood debut. And Manjari Fadnis and I were in it as the leads, but it didn`t work out. Luckily, I didn`t quit the day job. And then there was something, and then I saw Rang De Basanti, and I was like, I think there`s space for me."
"I quit the job at CNBC; it was, in any case, a recession. So, everybody doesn`t want to hear jokes. In an economic downturn, comedy has to be escapist. And in social turmoil, comedy has to be true. So at that point, nobody wanted a kid on the news going like, Oh, the economy crashed again today. Yeah, it`s not funny at all," the Go Goa Gone actor added.
Vir Das on why nepo kids have it easy
The Delhi Belly actor shared his views on nepotism, and instead of criticising the concept, he shared a practical point of view and reasoned why they have it relatively easier than the outsiders.
Vir said, The one area where I envy nepo kids is that they have good counsel. And they have the opportunity to work as an AD. They know what makes a movie a movie. Early in life. And they know what makes a good script a good script."
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut Reacts On Kissing Vir Das `Too Hard` In Revolver Rani
He continued, "I was just kind of like, Bro, a studio wants to make a movie. I got a job. Let`s go. And then I started to do a lot of things. I think after film 5 or 6, I was like, Oh, I wouldn`t watch this. What am I doing? And then, I was only in the movies for, like, 6 years maybe, 6-7 years."
On the work front, Vir Das` comedy special `Fool Volume` is now streaming on Netflix. He is also set to star in and direct Happy Patel Khatarnak Jasoos, a film produced by Aamir Khan.
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