Vir Das booked for 'Insulting India' in 7-minute monologue at Kennedy Center, comedian clarifies

New Delhi, Nov 17: Two complaints have been filed against Popular Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das for "derogatory statements against India" on Tuesday, 16 November.

One was lodged with the Mumbai Police by high court lawyer Ashutosh Dubey, who serves as the legal advisor of BJP-Maharashtra Palghar District. Another one has been registered at Delhi's Tilak Marg Police station, ANI reported.

The complaint further says that the comedian had made a "derogatory statement" against the India's Prime Minister, and had suggested that the PMCares fund was a 'fraud'.

I have filed the complaint against Vir Das Indian Comedian with @CPMumbaiPolice @MumbaiPolice for defaming & spoiling the image of India in the USA, which is inflammatory.

He wilfully spelled inciting & derogatory statements against India, Indian women, & the PM of India. pic.twitter.com/xQuLuGwGZv

— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY 🇮🇳 (@AdvAshutoshBJP) November 16, 2021

On Monday, Das had posted his latest video 'I Come From Two Indias' on his YouTube channel. The video is from his performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Towards the end of his performance, he delivered a monologue about the contradiction within the country under the segment titled Two Indias.

'I come from an India where we claim to be divided over Bollywood on Twitter and yet are united by Bollywood in the darkness of a theatre,' Vir Das narrates.

The video has left people divided. Where on one hand, there is a section of people who lauded his performance, some are offended with his act. Many social media users said that the video showed that the comedian was only interested in criticising his country. Some users accused him of perpetuating stereotypes about India through his video.

Reacting to the backlash he has been facing post the video, Das released an official statement on his Twitter asking people not to fall for edited excerpts from the video and also shared his intent behind making the video as part of his recent tour to America.

🙏 pic.twitter.com/1xwR4Qp5Fw

— Vir Das (@thevirdas) November 16, 2021