Vir Das says Two Indias row left him with ‘no income for two years’: ‘I am banned in MP’

Looking back at that period, Vir Das said he never considered the monologue a failure.

“I had a controversy after the Kennedy speech that was quite public and quite viral. It became the number one news item for 10 days and led to 14 police complaints that we had to spend time fighting. But I don’t see that piece as a failure. I’m very proud of it. I think it was a very well put together piece.”

‘We had no income for two years’

The comedian said the controversy came at a heavy professional cost.

“Everything went away. For two-and-a-half years, nobody would touch you with a 10-foot pole. All the brands went away, all the acting jobs went away, all the directing jobs went away.”

Vir revealed that he and his wife moved to Goa after the controversy and were left without a steady source of income.

He said, “Shivani and I moved to Goa and we had no income for two years. Then we wrote a joke about it. After two years, one could turn the phone back on. After six months, one could get permission to perform. After a year, things slowly started moving again.”

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‘Controversy can’t become your content’

Vir Das recalled the moment he realised he had finally reached a place where he could laugh about the experience.

“I remember going before a crowd in Mumbai. Everybody knew what I was coming off. I said, ‘It’s good to be back in the country.’ No response. Then I said, ‘It’s good to be allowed back into the country.’ Everybody laughed. That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, it’s going to be funny someday.’”

Sharing on what the experience taught him, Vir said controversy should never become the goal. “Your content can become controversial, but controversy can’t become your content.”

Vir Das on being ‘banned’ from Madhya Pradesh

The actor-comedian also revealed that he still avoids travelling to Madhya Pradesh because of the fallout from the Two Indias row.

“I’m actually banned in Madhya Pradesh. In the whole state. The Two Indias speech came out at the Kennedy Centre. There were 14 FIRs or whatever, and we dealt with it. But the MP of Madhya Pradesh was like… ‘He can never come to Madhya Pradesh.’ I don’t even know if the minister is still there. I just don’t want to find out. I don’t want to show up in Madhya Pradesh.”

What was the Two Indias controversy?

Vir Das’ Two Indias monologue, performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in November 2021, received a standing ovation overseas but sparked a political storm in India after clips from the act went viral online.

In the nearly seven-minute performance, Das contrasted what he described as “two Indias”—one that is progressive and aspirational, and another grappling with issues such as women’s safety, social divisions, the farmers’ protest, pollution and media polarisation. The recurring refrain in the act was, “I come from two Indias.” The monologue also touched upon issues such as women being worshipped during the day but facing sexual violence at night, as well as concerns over freedom of expression and growing divisions in society.

While many praised the performance as political satire, others accused Vir Das of insulting India on an international stage, leading to multiple police complaints and FIRs against the comedian. Das defended the act, describing it as “a satirical poem about the duality of our nation” that ultimately expressed hope for India’s future.

The backlash extended beyond legal action. Das has previously spoken about receiving threats and sustained online abuse. In a post on X, he wrote, “The average troll on this platform couldn’t deal with .000001% of what actually happened,” referring to the criticism, threats and police complaints he faced after the performance went viral.