Those who saw stand-up comedian turned Bollywood actor Vir Das with a full-blown beard while hosting a recently concluded awards function in the US, wondered whether Vir was just trying to appear more macho than warranted.
Turns out there are more method to the apparent madness than meets the eye.
Vir plays a Sikh character in his next movie role. The beard is part of his look for the character.
Entitled 1984 the intimate drama will take a look at a Sikh couple trying to preserve their life, faith and dignity during the infamous anti-Sikh riots after Mrs Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984.
The film will be directed by Shivaji Lotan Patil who won the National award for Best Director last year for his Marathi film Dhag.
Says Vir, "It's a serious dramatic role with tremendous scope for emotional expression. And I play a Sardar, hence the facial growth. I also have to wear the turban. It isn't difficult for me to get a hang of the way a Sardarji dresses, speaks and behaves because a lot of my friends in boarding school in Sanawar were Sikhs. So I grew up with a Sikh population."
But how could the award-winning director visualizean actor with a predominantly comic image in a somber Sikh's role?
"Revolver Rani!" comes the prompt answer from Vir. "I got the role because of Revolver Rani. I showed parts of the film to the director. And he was convinced I could pull it off."
About the controversial content of the film Vir says, "We are focusing on the human relationship. The story is about the couple's attempts to stay together during the time of a crisis."
Vir and Soha, who plays his wife, would be going through some months of rehearsals to get comfortable together as a couple.
Vir has worked with Soha's soul-mate Kunal Khemu in Go Goa Gone. Soha and Vir get along well since then.
"What really gratifies me is that I am able to move away from my comic image into this dramatic emotional zone.This kind of acceptance beyond the laughter makes me very grateful," says Vir.
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