It begins with a disclaimer: ‘This video features adult content of a stupid and amateur nature. It also features a man in his bathroom.’ It is followed by a series of suggestive images of all things brown - a chocolate fountain, and the WhatsApp defecation emoji animated to dance. Then appears the name of the show: Potcast with Vir Das. Soon enough, we see Das (37), against a tiled bathroom wall. The shot cuts to him sitting on a toilet, with the newspaper covering his modesty.
The Potcast is a series of videos that features Das sitting on a pot, reading the news out loud – from the Film and Television Institute (FTII) protests, to Donald Trump, and the Sensex. He throws in some satire, some suggestive jokes. Think John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, on a commode.
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“I was looking for a regular digital series. This seemed like something I could do from wherever I was. Besides, you can’t expect good behaviour from a man sitting on a commode. So, it gives me the prefect setting to tell jokes about the country. In a weird way, the bathroom gives me more freedom than any show with a fancy set and a news desk,” says Das. He started the series in September, 2015, and has since received an average of a million hits on each of his videos.
{{/usCountry}}“I was looking for a regular digital series. This seemed like something I could do from wherever I was. Besides, you can’t expect good behaviour from a man sitting on a commode. So, it gives me the prefect setting to tell jokes about the country. In a weird way, the bathroom gives me more freedom than any show with a fancy set and a news desk,” says Das. He started the series in September, 2015, and has since received an average of a million hits on each of his videos.
{{/usCountry}}This weekend, Das, with fellow comedians Kavi Shastri and Amogh Ranadive, will stage a live version of the Potcast. However, Das says it’s not limited to satirical analysis of the daily news, but will include sketches, debates, and improvised comedy slams. “It’s a show that will make you laugh but also make you extremely uncomfortable,” he says.
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Don’t Miss: On the Pot will be held on January 8, 5pm
Where: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Call: 6622 3737; Tickets: Rs 800 onward