Vir Das Opens Up About Life After ‘Two Indias’ Controversy: Silence, Struggles, and a Surreal Flight Experience

Ziya Khan August 7, 2025Last Updated: August 7, 2025

Vir Das faced a major upheaval in his life following the backlash over his 2021 video I Come From Two Indias. In a candid conversation with Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day, the actor-comedian revealed the profound impact the controversy had on his career and mental health.

Vir shared how his life came to a standstill, saying, “My phone was off for four months. There was no work…I booked a flight to London and had no memory of it. I YELLED in the plane…” The fallout left him without gigs for a year and a half, with his phone rarely ringing, and when it did, it wasn’t good news. “If it did ring, it wasn’t a happy phone call,” he laughed, recalling threats and hostility. To cope, he moved to Goa, explaining, “You can’t write stand-up in Goa because you need to know the pulse of the audience.

In Goa, time slows down—it feels like the day is 37 hours long!” He admired the non-judgmental nature of Goans, who have seen people from all walks of life come to settle their troubles, but eventually realized, “It was time to stop running and come back.”Vir described the surreal moment when he woke up mid-flight, confused about his destination. “I thought the flight was from Singapore to Mumbai, but it was London-bound. I had booked a last-minute show there, sold a thousand tickets, and somehow got myself on the plane.

For two hours, I had no idea how I ended up on that flight.” His loud protests about the destination startled fellow passengers, but the comedian saw humor in the chaos: “You can’t feel bad for being disoriented in first class!”Returning to work, Vir’s Netflix special Vir Das: Landing became a turning point, winning an Emmy and reigniting his career.

Reflecting on his mental health, he said he confided in his therapist about “blocking out 72 hours” during his intense period of 186 shows abroad—the phase when India wasn’t an option for him professionally. This chapter in Vir Das’s life underscores the toll of public controversies and the resilience needed to bounce back.