Vir Das reveals why ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger’ made ‘Happy Patel’ possible: 'I decided to rewrite the whole script'

Vir Das has stepped into a new phase of his career with his directorial debut, ‘Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos’, a spy comedy that released in theatres on January 16. Speaking ahead of the film’s release, Das said the success of big-ticket spy films like ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger’ made space for a comedy spin on the genre.

He revealed that he rewrote the script after seeing how mainstream spy cinema had become a cultural force in India.

From Vir Das’s stand-up stage to director’s chair

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Das described the shift in direction as a natural extension of his work as a stand-up comic. “Co-director, to clarify. Kavi Shastri and I make everything together,” he said, crediting his collaborator. “Being a director is the closest thing to being a stand-up comic you can imagine.”The actor-comedian added that the biggest change was collaboration. “Stand-up is such an isolated art form, but as a director, you trust 200 people who are trying to make the madness in your mind better,” he said. Das noted that his team included technicians who had worked on major projects, calling it “validating that these people trust your vision.”Das also emphasized that the film was made on a modest budget. “We probably cost less than the catering budget of some big films,” he said, while pointing out that the movie still features six action sequences and extensive background music.

Why ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger’ mattered to Vir Das

Das said the idea of a spy comedy clicked only after mainstream spy films dominated the box office. “Comedy is counter-culture; mainstream culture has to exist for counter-culture to exist,” he said. “Now that the mainstream spy genre is the ‘it’ genre in Indian cinema, it is time for the comedy version of it.” He added, “Two years ago, maybe after ‘Pathaan’ or ‘Tiger 3’, I decided to rewrite the whole script.”The film stars Das as an NRI spy who slowly discovers his assumptions about India are wrong.

Das said he was related to the underdog arc. “In action-comedies, the standard rule is that the hero never wins; he has to lose until the very end,” he said.‘Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos’ is co-directed by Vir Das and Kavi Shastri. The film also stars Mona Singh and Mithila Palkar, with cameo appearances by Imran Khan and Aamir Khan. Das said Aamir Khan’s involvement raised the stakes. “I have watched my film 800 times to make sure every footstep and bullet sound is right,” he said, calling the process both validating and nerve-racking.