Vir Das: Happy Patel still playing in theatres in its second week, means a lot

Mumbai, Jan 30
Stand-up star and actor Vir Das is over-the-moon as his film “Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos” is still running cinema halls despite the presence of multiple big-budget, spectacle-driven releases currently dominating theatres.


Speaking about the film’s reception and its continued run in theatres, Vir said: “We were clear from the start that this is a small film entering a marketplace driven by scale and spectacle. So the fact that Happy Patel is still playing in theatres in its second week, despite that reality, means a lot to us.”

He added: “It’s really the audience that has carried the film forward, people discovering it, talking about it, and coming back with others. That kind of response is what allows a film like ours to stay alive in cinemas.”

Happy Patel marks Vir Das’s feature film directorial debut. The film stars Vir alongside names such as Mithila Palkar, Mona Singh, Sharib Hashmi and Srushti Tawade.

The film tells the story of Happy Patel, the adopted son of two gay British secret agents, who aspired to follow his fathers' footsteps, and join the MI7 covert agency, but failed, soon learns that he is of Indian origin.

He is assigned to Goa, on a mission, to rescue and retrieve a white woman who is being forced to work in a factory on developing a formula for a fairness cream by local donna Mama, who houses an inter-generational enmity with Happy, and is eager to settle scores.

Vir Das is an Indian comedian, actor and musician. After beginning a career in stand-up comedy, Das moved to Hindi cinema, starring in films like Badmaash Company, Delhi Belly and Go Goa Gone in supporting roles.

He performed the Netflix special Abroad Understanding. Vir has appeared in approximately 35 plays, over 100 stand-up comedy shows, 18 films, eight TV shows and six comedy specials. He made his debut in American television with the series Whiskey Cavalier. He won the International Emmy Award for Best Comedy Series for the Netflix comedy special Vir Das: Landing.

-