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India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Vir Das: Fool proof
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 4, 2025)Being a Gemini might explain why Vir Das is involved in multiple projects at the same time. Since he was last seen on screen in the Ananya Panday-led series, Call Me Bae (2024), the comedian and actor has co-directed a film for Aamir Khan Productions, written a memoir and recorded a new stand-up special for Netflix called Fool Volume. All of this while also performing stand-up around the world. 'I have really worked hard for the last two years. They were creation years and the next two years are release years,' says the Volume, shot across a sold-out stadium in Mumbai, a church in London and New York's iconic Comedy Cellar, is an hour-long special and possibly his most experimental yet. 'If you compare it to Landing [his last special, for which Das won the International Emmy], you'll find it's less performative. There is no set and I am surrounded by the audience, who are lit while I am not. I am just completely myself on stage,' he explains.A large part of Fool Volume is about Das losing his voice six weeks before recording it. 'At that point, I had already written and fine-tuned the show around a completely different theme. Being forced to be silent made me rethink, and I found myself rewriting the show. It eventually became about silence.' He was also doing everything he could to get his voice back. The NYC section of the special chronicles the efforts—a pooja to remove nazar (evil eye), consulting India's vocal doctors and Grammy-winning singer Adele's speech therapist, homeopathy, chakra healing and Myofascial Energy Release. 'I don't know what got my voice back; maybe all six things worked.' Now that the special has dropped, next up for Das is the launch of his memoir The Outsider later this year. 'It's not so much about what I have achieved, but more about how I've stumbled, and all the stupid things I've said.' And then there is Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, a film that Das has co-written and co-directed along with long-time friend and collaborator Kavi Shashtri. 'I fell in love with directing the way I fell for stand-up. It's the single most exhausting thing I've ever done in my life, and I loved every minute of it,' says Das, who is also the been a little over two decades since Das moved to Mumbai and kickstarted a career in comedy, music (he had a band called Alien Chutney) and movies. Though he still thinks of himself as an outsider, he believes he has now found his to India Today Magazine- Ends
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Hrithik Roshan Calls Vir Das' Netflix Special The Best Ever: 'It Is Pure Genius'
Last Updated: Hrithik Roshan calls Vir Das' Fool Volume 'the best stand-up show ever.' The actor reinstalled Instagram just to praise the Netflix special. Details inside. Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan has made a surprising return to Instagram — and it's not for a film promotion or personal update. The actor rejoined the platform specifically to shower praise on comedian-actor Vir Das for his latest Netflix stand-up special Fool Volume. Hrithik called it 'the best stand-up show ever," making it clear that the special left a lasting impression on him. Taking to Instagram, Hrithik wrote, 'Had to reinstall Instagram cause I had to say this. Vir Das' Fool Volume has got to be the best stand-up show ever." The heartfelt shoutout quickly garnered attention from fans and fellow celebrities alike, with many lauding Hrithik's genuine appreciation for the art of comedy. Released globally this past Friday, Fool Volume marks Vir Das' sixth stand-up special and comes on the heels of his historic International Emmy Award win in 2024 for Landing. With this new outing, Vir delves even deeper into themes of identity, politics, absurdity, and cultural duality — all wrapped in his signature wit and biting satire. Vir's blend of introspection and humour in Fool Volume has resonated widely, with critics calling it his most personal and experimental work to date. The special's sharp writing, fearless honesty, and timely cultural reflections have made it a talking point among audiences in India and abroad. Reacting to Hrithik's public admiration, Vir responded with humility and gratitude, 'Day, month, year, life made. Thank you Hrithik for always shining light and for always being amazing. Thank you thank you @hrithikroshan I admire you so much." With Fool Volume, Vir Das continues to solidify his reputation as one of India's most fearless and globally relevant comedians. And with Hrithik Roshan's unexpected endorsement, the special has now earned a stamp of approval from Bollywood royalty too. Fool Volume is now streaming on Netflix. First Published: July 27, 2025, 18:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Hrithik Roshan calls Vir Das Fool Volume best stand-up, reinstalls app to say it
Actor Hrithik Roshan has showered praise on comedian-actor Vir Das for his latest Netflix special 'Fool Volume', calling it 'the best stand-up show ever.' The 'War 2' star was so moved by the performance that he reinstalled Instagram just to publicly share his admiration for the show, which marks Vir's most personal and boldest work to date.'Had to reinstall Instagram cause I had to say this. Vir Das' 'Fool Volume' has got to be the best stand-up show ever,' Hrithik wrote on his Instagram Story. advertisementThe special, which premiered on Netflix last Friday, has clever humour with introspective moments, exploring themes such as identity, politics, and the quirks of everyday life. This is Vir's sixth stand-up special and follows his Emmy-winning 'Landing', which made him the first Indian comedian to bag the prestigious International Emmy Award in 2024. 'Fool Volume' has since been gaining attention for its fearless commentary and clever writing. In response to Hrithik's heartfelt appreciation, Vir Das expressed his gratitude, saying, 'Day, month, year, life made. Thank you Hrithik for always shining light and for always being amazing. Thank you thank you @hrithikroshan I admire you so much.' On the work front, Hrithik has just wrapped up shooting for 'War 2', directed by Ayan Mukerji. The film also stars Kiara Advani and Jr NTR, who will be making his Bollywood debut. A sequel to the 2019 blockbuster 'War', the film is a key part of the YRF Spy Universe, alongside 'Pathaan' and 'Tiger 3'. Hrithik will reprise his role as Major Kabir Dhaliwal, a character that has become a fan favorite.- EndsMust Watch
Business Insider
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Social media startup Zeen is shutting down after raising $9 million
Making it as a social media startup ain't easy. Zeen, the maker of a social collage platform, confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that it was shutting down operations. "If there was any other way to keep it going, we would've done that," cofounder Miri Buckland told BI. "Ultimately, over the last couple of months, it became clear that it wasn't going to grow to the scale that it needed to as a VC-backed startup." Buckland cofounded the company, which was originally called Landing, with Ellie Buckingham in 2019. The startup raised a total of $9 million in venture capital from firms including Stellation Capital. The company's first product was Landing, a social media app that felt nostalgic for the 2010s days of Polyvore or Pinterest, and was a brief hit with Gen-Z users. The startup shut down the Landing app in September. The company then rebranded to Zeen and pivoted away from building a new social media platform and toward the creator economy. It introduced a shoppable collage feature that creators could use across social media platforms, particularly Substack newsletters. Creators could easily integrate affiliate-marketing links using Zeen's website. "We've had products in many different iterations through Landing and through Zeen, and we hoped that this would be something that we could grow into a much bigger business," Buckland said. Building a long-lasting, profitable social media platform isn't an easy game. That's one reason some investors have backed away from the category. Other social media darlings have faced fates of either dwindling popularity or, in some cases, shutting down entirely. For instance, Poparazzi, a photo-sharing app that was a viral hit in 2021, announced it would shut down in 2023. Meanwhile, some creator economy startups have also had to face shutdowns, like film studio Creator+. "We made the decision that now was the time to shut it down," Buckland said. "Fundraising or becoming profitable, they weren't viable pathways for us at this point. It's a sad decision, honestly."
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Vir Das Fool Volume review: Shah Rukh Khan-approved comedian struggles against contraints in self-deprecating and self-indulgent Netflix stand-up special
Throttled by his government and abandoned by his peers — inanimate objects and abstract ideas get more support than Indian comedians — Vir Das seems to be in conflict with his past. His sixth stand-up special for Netflix, Fool Volume, combines his trademark self-effacing delivery with his signature ambition. Fool Volume was filmed in Mumbai, London, and New York, at venues of different shapes and sizes, in front of crowds with different thresholds of tolerance. But the elaborate production and occasional filmmaking flourish isn't the most impressive thing about the one-hour special. It's the comedian's ability to spin a story, to structure a narrative that serves as yet another reminder of his skill. There isn't a dull moment in the hour-long set, which Das says was rewritten after he lost his voice, literally, six weeks before he was supposed to perform it. He abandoned the material that Netflix had paid him for, and, either by chance or by design, found himself gravitating towards the style of comedy that he does best. In Fool Volume, Das gazes inward; he glances at the world around him, and then, he gets down to business. The show isn't so much about a comedian finding his voice again as it is about a middle-aged Indian man finding a new voice. Also read – Kapil Sharma I'm Not Done Yet review: Indisciplined Netflix standup special is strictly for the comedian's hardcore fans Unwritten restrictions, in a way, are scarier than laws that have been institutionalised over decades. For instance, no one — including a career criminal — would risk running somebody over on the street in broad daylight because the law forbids it. The same person might think twice about posting something rude about the Prime Minister online despite Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita not expounding a word on it. Das doesn't entirely abandon the political humour that got him in trouble a few months before his last Netflix special, the Emmy-winning Landing, but he certainly seems to be distancing himself from that persona. There is, however, a great bit directed at the Indian middle-class for 'worshipping false heroes and celebrating a lack of intelligence' because it is 'obsessed with consumption and a cult of power.' But, having built a career on the back of jokes directed at 'uncles', Das doesn't quite realise that he might be turning into one himself. Any time someone begins a sentence with, 'Here's the problem with your generation,' and ends it with, 'I don't want to patronise you,' you know they've gone over the bend. Or, at least, they've started to. Standing in his two shoes, wearing his perfectly tailored suit, his fade cropped to precision, Das makes the unforgivable mistake of invoking his past struggles. He tells a story about when he used to work as a dishwasher at a restaurant. In Chicago. As a Gully Boy once said, 'Jahan humare sapne poore hote hain, wahan inka struggle shuru hota hai.' In fairness, the point of this story, which is expertly told, isn't to remind audiences across three continents about the power of Brown people with a dream (and money). It is to illustrate the power of kindness. Read more – Ricky Gervais Armageddon review: Provocative comedian dusts off dated material in latest Netflix standup special Midway through the special, Das makes the stylistically inspired choice to turn the house lights off. In darkness, the crowd experiences something that it probably hasn't at a comedy show in a while: freedom. It's like a version of online anonymity, demonstrated with a resolute faith in humanity, not frustration directed at it. Those in power aren't afraid of what comedians say, Das tells the crowds; they're afraid of how the audience reacts. They sent their goons to vandalise venues and threaten artistes not because of what was said, but because of how it was received. Comedy shows are oddly comforting. For about an hour, you feel as if you've finally found your tribe, people who share similar anxieties and fears. You realise that, deep down, everyone wants the same thing. For about an hour, you feel empowered to laugh about stuff that you probably wouldn't laugh about in regular life. Perhaps you're policing yourself, or perhaps you're simply protecting yourself. It's slightly irrational belief, because the moment you walk out into the real world, the illusion breaks. There's some guy barking at you for standing in their way, or not driving as fast as they think you should. This is the world far removed from the cocoon of the Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium; this is where you can get killed for having grown a moustache that doesn't 'belong' to your culture. Read more – Aziz Ansari Nightclub Comedian review: Surprise new Netflix standup special is a minor work from a major talent Fool Volume is a relatively lighthearted special, though. Das does the Bollywood thing of name-dropping Shah Rukh Khan; the 'King' apparently told Das that he's proud of him, although the comedian doesn't specify what for. While you'd assume that it was for speaking truth to power, it could've honestly been for anything else. SRK beaming with pride at Das for having finished the meal that was served to him at Mannat can't entirely be taken off the table, can it? He also takes a pot-shot at Kangana Ranaut, by the way, but she'd probably need to utilise the collective intelligence of every person in her constituency to explain the joke to her. Fool Volume finds India's most gifted comedian — you cannot compare him to the casually misogynistic Zakir Khan or the casually cruel Samay Raina — throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. It's an artistic representation of the stages of panic he went through when he lost his voice — he tried homeopathy, paid for an expensive therapist; he even tried praying. But he'll never know which strategy really worked. His voice just… came back one day. Fool Volume is Das in the throat-clearing phase of his recovery. He'll find his new voice soon enough. Throat-clearing isn't just a sign of hesitation, you see; it is also warning. Vir Das: Fool Volume Director – Vir Das Rating – 3/5 Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
