NEW DELHI: If Hindi cinema's fictional spies from "Pathaan", "Ek Tha Tiger" and "Dhurandhar" come together for a serious family dinner, Happy Patel would be that idiot who says and does stupid things, says Vir Das about his titular character in "Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos".
Das, one of the most prominent stand-up comedians and an occasional movie and series star, is playing a spy that is unlike the ones audiences are used to watching on Indian screens as his character is anything but 'khatarnak' (dangerous).
"Every joint family dinner needs one idiot at the table, and I'm happy to be the idiot at the table. So, I want you to imagine maybe Tiger, Pathaan, Kabir ('War') and Ranveer Singh from 'Dhurandhar' and Alia Bhatt from ('Alpha') are having a wonderful serious dinner and for some reason they invite this idiot to the table, who says stupid things and who doesn't have a clue about anything, and that's who Happy Patel is," Das told PTI in an interview.
The 46-year-old is admittedly a basket of nerves ahead of the release of his new movie on Friday, which he has also co-written with Amogh Ranadive and co-directed with Kavi Shastri. It is produced by Aamir Khan Productions and even features the superstar in a cameo.
Physical comedy is not new for Das as he was part of hit comedies like "Delhi Belly" and "Go Goa Gone", but with his first movie as a director, he feels like a newcomer.
"The big difference with 'Delhi Belly' and 'Go Goa Gone' is that the characters were quite smart and edgy because culture at the time was quite soft. Cinema was 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', 'Parineeta' and 'Guzaarish'. It was very cultured and subtle. So, when we came in with like edgy gaalies (expletives), we were different for that reason.
"Today, we live in the world of 'Paatal Lok' and 'Mirzapur'. The culture is already quite hard and edgy. So, it's a lot more goofy, absurd and ridiculous, which for me is a new zone as an actor to be in. Happy Patel has zero nuance. He's not a bright guy at all," he said.
Asked about the theatrical prospects of the movie which is releasing at a time when only big-budget spectacles like "Dhurandhar" are working at the box office, Das said his is a small "underdog" film with big dreams.
I'm no one to lay any claims to film industry knowledge. This film was shot in 31 days... We really are a small size film. I think we have probably the catering budget of 'Border 2', if you think about it. I like to think of us as an underdog who takes big swings. That's how I perceive this movie
Vir Das
Das said while stand-up comedy can be an isolating art form, he learned to rely on others while making the movie and it turned out to be a great experience.
"I got to collaborate with Aamir Khan and there isn't a better producer in the industry than him, especially for a concept like ours because it's such a mad film. We have technicians that, quite frankly, we didn't deserve... So to get to collaborate with people and really trust them to make your mad little idea better, that's really been the joy of this," he said.
The comedian said he wanted Aamir to play a cameo in the movie but took time to mention it to the producer-actor.
"I told him that when I close my eyes, I see you playing this character. I think he's got quite a role in this movie. And he sets this whole movie up.
"When you start a movie, you want to start strong. You want to set your tone very fast and get the audience captive immediately. And I don't think there's anything better than Aamir Khan on screen to do that. When he comes on screen, time stands still a little bit."
Similarly, Aamir's nephew Imran Khan, who makes a comeback to movies after a decade with "Happy Patel", wanted to play a fun role in the film.
"I think he did it out of, he says FOMO (fear of missing out). Buzz was good in the Aamir Khan production's office. He knows Mithila (Palkar) and Mona (Singh), and a lot of the technicians. He knows Aamir sir, of course. And then I got an text from him and he said, 'if we're going to do this, we have to do something special and not waste this opportunity'. We went back and said, 'What has Imran Khan not done before?... We just gave him something flamboyant and very silly."
The trailer of the film features a song titled "Main hoon alpha male", which Das says is the perfect track for his character.
"There is a pretty large spectrum to modern masculinity at the end of the day. And I think a man dancing for you sillily, trying to make you laugh and comfortable enough to be a fool in front of you is also a type of masculinity. Happy Patel is that kind of masculinity," he said.