Vir Das

Vir Das was born in Dehradun and has lived in Africa, studying at the Indian Language School in Lagos, Nigeria, and later in Shimla and Delhi. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Knox College in Illinois, majoring in Economics and Theatre with a concentration in performance. During his college years, Das was a member of the Delta Theta chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity. After graduating, he was accepted into the Stanislavsky Program of the Moscow Arts Theatre.

During his time in the USA, Das was involved with three sketch comedy troupes: The Really Useless Improv, Improv Inc, and Illegal Aliens, where he performed, wrote, and developed sketches in the style of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Additionally, he worked as a ship comedian on the Carnival Cruise Line between Houston and Mexico and spent time honing his craft in comedy clubs across Chicago.

After returning to India in April 2003, Das has become a prominent figure in the Indian comedy scene, performing over 100 shows in major cities and debuting six comedy specials that he wrote, directed, and starred in at the India Habitat Center. Each of these shows, including "Brown Men Can't Hump" and "VIRagra," was highly successful, consistently selling out. His television career began with hosting duties on Zoom Channel’s "Is Route Ki Sabhin Linein Maast Hain" and his own stand-up comedy late-night show "Ek Rahin Vir." These shows, along with his role as host of the news comedy show "News on the Loose" on CNBC-TV18, helped establish him as India's premier comedian.

Das's international recognition has grown with his four Netflix specials, the most recent being "Landing," which premiered on December 26, 2022. His special "Vir Das: For India" earned him a nomination for an International Emmy for "Best Comedy" in 2021. In addition to his stand-up career, Das has acted in the Netflix feature "The Bubble" and the ABC series "Whiskey Cavalier." He has also created, produced, and starred in the Netflix series "Hasmukh" and Amazon's "Jestination Unknown." Recognized as India’s biggest stand-up comedian and a leading Bollywood actor, in 2022 he was the second best-selling live act in the country. Das is also the lead singer of the comedy-rock band Alien Chutney, further highlighting his versatile talents in entertainment.