Vir Das Landing review: Comedian dissects Two Indias and his two identities in sharp and sentimental Netflix standup comedy special

A part of his response — the most demonstrative part — is understandably sober, but it’s also rather sentimental. Das is now carrying around Ziplock bags literally stuffed with ‘desh ki mitti’ that he sprinkles on stage, in a gesture straight out of an Anil Kapoor movie. It’s an in-your-face display of patriotism that really has the symbolic power to ruffle feathers. But it’s also a rather efficient way to get the point across.

The comedian has always struggled with identity, and that struggle can be felt throughout Landing’s hour-and-change run time. “I’m too Indian for the West and too Western for India,” he admits with a shrug. And it’s true. In a country where hyper-local observational comedians tend to draw the most eyeballs, Das continues to perform from his perch of privilege in English, frequently to RRR-loving American audiences alternately confused and amused by our eccentricities.

Which means that in most of his shows, he pauses to explain certain references and offer translations of select Hindi statements. These asides are an integral part of the performance, designed to highlight some of the more absurd realities of our culture. When he isn’t joking about the Queen and the militarised American police, he’s suggesting that the famous Indian head bob is a by-product of our murderous monsoon season.

But as is the norm in a Vir Das show, all swings inevitably land on his favourite punching bag: Indian uncles. His inner-conflict extends to a bit in the middle, in which he literally shows the middle finger to NRIs for commenting about modern India from abroad. This is a silly argument, because it uses the same faulty logic that desis deployed against him for ‘badmouthing’ his home country on foreign soil.

Overnight, Das recalls, all brands cut ties with him; his shows were cancelled; his family was threatened with violence. And yet, he was being celebrated across the world as symbol of speaking truth to power. Often, his conflict isn’t so much about whether he is Indian, but if he is Indian enough. Presumably at any other time in history, his achievements internationally would be a source of tremendous pride among his countrymen and women. But by that same logic, at any other time in history, Das would defend everybody’s right to comment about the country of their birth, regardless of whether they are in Delhi or Washington DC.

There is always going to be an undeniable narcissism attached to dedicating an entire special to your own legend. And despite Landing’s overall love-trumps-hate vibe, Das isn’t always able to divorce himself from his observations. Perhaps he isn’t a common man at all — his experience aboard an Air India flight, moments before, ahem, landing in Mumbai, isn’t meant to be relatable. But here’s the thing — and Das seems unaware of this — it could be. Instead of reminding his viewers that they could all be persecuted like him one day — he assures the audience that he doesn’t want their sympathy, but at the same time presents himself as some kind of martyr — Das has a tendency to distance himself from them, strutting around in sneakers embossed with his own name.

The controversy might have sent him spiralling into self-doubt, but one thing’s for sure, it reminded Vir Das that his voice remains as relevant as ever. One can criticise his perspective, but not his right to exercise it. It’s all irrelevant anyway as long as he keeps landing the punchlines.

Vir Das: Landing
Director – Vir Das
Rating – 4/5