Landing

Vir Das spent 2021 being accused of treason on Indian television and facing multiple police complaints for a six-minute monologue. He spent 2022 processing it on stage. The resulting show is a narrative that pivots on the absurdity of a global outrage cycle, using his real-time paranoia during a Newark-to-Mumbai flight to anchor an hour of comedy about identity, patriotism, and exile.\n\nFilmed at a theater in New York City, this was the fifth Netflix release for India’s most prominent comedic export. The show alternates between broad, quick-fire jokes about childhood in India and a more sober reflection on modern nationalism. In a playful act of subversion, Das brings a jar of Juhu Beach sand on stage, claiming he is holding Indian soil so he cannot be accused of defaming his country on foreign ground. He is at his most engaging when he drops the frantic pacing to define the difference between a patriot and a nationalist—the latter of which he describes as narcissism with a flag.\n\nWhile some critics felt the frantic editing of the opening minutes disrupted the show’s flow, the hour was widely praised for its earnestness and self-awareness. It went on to win the 2023 International Emmy for Best Comedy.