'Don't be Fooled by Edited Snippets': Vir Das on Reactions to 'Two Indias'
After the poem went viral, a complaint was filed against Vir Das for 'derogatory remarks' against India.
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On Tuesday, comedian Vir Das issued a statement regarding his poem 'Two Indias', wherein he spoke about the duality of the country. Das clarified that the piece isn't intended to insult the country, and that people shouldn't be 'fooled by edited snippets'.
Das wrote in his note that his intention was to remind us that despite its problems, India is a 'great' country. "The video is a satire about the duality of two very separate India''s that do different things. Like any nation has light and dark, good and evil within it. None of this is a secret. The video appeals for us to never forget that we are great. To never stop focusing on what makes us great.
"It ends in a gigantic patriotic round of applause for a country we all love, believe in, and are proud of. That there is more to our country than the headlines, a deep beauty. That's the point of the video and the reason for the applause," his statement read.
The comedian added that people cheer for the country with hope and not 'hate'. "Please do not be fooled by edited snippets. People cheer for India with hope, not hate. People clap for India with respect, not malice. You cannot sell tickets, earn applause, or represent a great people with negativity, only with pride. I take pride in my country, and I carry that pride across the world.
"To me, a room full of people anywhere in the world, giving India an ovation is pure love. I ask of you, the same thing I asked of that audience...to focus on the light, remember our greatness, and spread the love," he concluded.
Vir Das narrated the poem after his performance at the Kennedy Centre. Right from COVID-19 to the price of petrol and the communism that has gripped the country, he covers it all in his six-minute performance. After the video went viral, a complaint was filed against him for "derogatory statements against India" on 16 November.
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