Vir Das sits down for a candid conversation with mid-day where he shares his idea of fame and social media. He admits suffering by the trappings of fame and shares how there is a stark difference between fan and audience. He also feels pity for people who rely on Instagram for validation
Vir Das
After his memorable stints in Delhi Belly and Go Goa Gone, Vir Das took a break and dabbles into the space of stand-up comedy. He enjoys a massive fan following on social media. In a recent interaction on mid-day's Sit With Hitlist, the actor-comedian shares how he has suffered the trappings of fame. Vir Das even shares his thoughts on social media influencers who are under constant anxiety worrying about their likes and followers.
Vir Das on social media and fame
When asked what fame does to you, the actor admits getting affected by the noise around. He states, “I had one year where I had Entourage and some Crash movie and two cell phones and sunglasses in airports and all that stuff. This happened in 2013, post Delhi Belly, Go Goa Gone, that run.”
Vir Das explains how he feels irrelevant on social media as it does not have great traction, but still people show up at his events. “But again, it didn’t suit me. And now it’s weird. I don’t know what it is right now. We’re selling out these massive shows in minutes. People are showing up. They’re very young. The confusing part of it is — it’s not social media fame either. Sometimes I think I’m social media irrelevant. My Instagram account doesn’t have great traction compared to anybody. But people show up for me. So it’s a very real connection. And then I realized, it’s not fame. It’s an audience. And there’s a big difference between the two.”
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Vir on difference between audience and fan
Stating the difference between a fan and audience, he remarks, “A fan wants a selfie, and a fan is sometimes attracted to you or to your character, etc. An audience will spend on you and has massive expectations of you and will be very quick to express their disappointment in you. But the great thing is, as the audience grows, they grow with you.”
Vir on his writing suffering
The artist also recalls the flipside of fame and shares how his writing suffered due to the trappings of fame. He shares, “I felt my writing really suffered when I had the trappings of fame. There is no entourage with me right now. And so, I get to have a conversation with somebody that leads into my writing.”
He concluded, “With me, I get to live life. I leave the country for five months a year. So, I get to eat in cafes, go to the grocery store. I get to run a dishwasher. I get to have life that leads into my writing. But fame and all they are trapping and you can't control it. I feel bad for people who are social media famous because one day Instagram changes the algorithm. You don't know what's happened. You got to pivot and your whole career is just and their shelf life is really brutal man.”
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