Vir Das may be labelled a comic, but, much like his jokes, there’s more under the surface. His latest special Fool Volume attests to this. A pastiche of the same show told over three different locations, Mumbai, London and New York, this special shines not just for Das’s observational humour, but because it gives insight into how he operates as a comedian.
Beyond his ability to adapt his work to specific audiences, his talent for turning what at first seems like a trivial joke into a tearjerker, to still make people laugh even after revealing the mechanics of a joke, makes him deserving of the title of a master storyteller.
AT A GLANCE
Film: Vir Das: Fool Volume (Netflix)
Director: Vir Das
Rating: ★★★★☆
Having lost his voice six weeks before he was set to film his Netflix special, he made the dangerous decision to rewrite his entire show, but this time, armed with “a new voice.” Perhaps that’s why this is a show about dualities: an exploration of before and after as shown through video footage, of light and darkness and the dual meaning of losing your voice.
Considering the raft of near career-ending moments he’s had, whether that’s starring in a bad Bollywood film or his previous criminal charges, it’s ironic that his latest obstacle is physical rather than externally imposed. That’s why this special is not just a societal critique but is his most personal work yet.
Equal parts light and darkness, he has a talent for imbuing even crass jokes with deep meanings and vice versa, showcases the potential to find humour in sorrow. After encountering a racist at an Australian airport, his response was excitement, stating “Oh my God! It’s an OG racist.” Honourable mention also goes to the line, “Pull your tits out and share your soup,” a strange but apt metaphor on how to be a better citizen.
But hot takes and personal stories aside, what stands out in Fool Volume is the way that Das interacts with his audience to create a sense of community. This is partially achieved through movie magic. Seamlessly moving between his three shows held in the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, a church in London and the Comedy Cellar in New York respectively, the special reveals how the comedian adapts his show to suit his audience.
For example, he changes his made-up spectrum of verbal eloquence from “Apu-Vivek Ramaswamy”, “Mowgli-Sunak,” to “Kangana-Tharoor” when shifting between his NY, London and Mumbai audience. In another instance, the audience is shrouded in darkness after the lights go out, as he gives a speech which touches on issues relevant to their particular social contexts. This scene is doubly clever in that it makes audiences active participants in his joke or rather, social experiment.
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And admittedly, this experimentation with form, and Das’s tendency to linger on the message or intention behind his joke, may seem less like stand-up to some and more like a lecture. In his show, jokes typically serve another purpose, whether that’s to set up a story, or to make a bigger point. But while audiences aren’t treated to an hour of laughs, they are guaranteed to walk away feeling deeply moved.
Along the way, we get treated to a sultry song on the kazoo, a quick lecture on joke structure, a raft of impressions, as well as an original techno piece. It’s showmanship at its finest.
This signature ability to do a lot with little, is also why Das tends to stick to a bare bones stage set up. In Landing, he covered half the stage with sand from Juhu Beach, in Vir Das: For India, he has a blue door behind him and in Fool Volume, he’s opted for something even more minimalistic: a small lamp. It serves as a storytelling mechanism which stands in for a multitude of material objects and abstract concepts alike, including the Sun, hope and the lights in a night club.
Unlike his previous specials, Das is not concerned with explicitly stating the significance of the prop. Instead, he keeps the audience guessing, transforming them from passive consumers to engaged viewers.
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It’s an apt decision for a show that is really a call to action. Whilst the special, for the most part, follows his simultaneously harrowing and enlightening journey to regain his voice, it also poses a question to the audience: How will you use your voice?
Das’s fascination with keeping everyone on their toes has both landed him in hot water and brought him great success. This show, whilst less controversial and biting than his previous work, is bound to keep him in the mainstream comedy scene for a little while longer.
READ MORE: Vir Das for IFFM 2025 – Indian Link
