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Vir Das shocked by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee referencing his ‘2 Indias’ monologue in Parliament: ‘Where were you then?’
On February 10, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee during his speech on the Union Budget, referenced Vir Das and his ‘two Indias’ satirical monologue.
Actor-comedian Vir Das seems shocked that All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee referenced him and his satirical monologue ‘Two Indias’ in the Lok Sabha. While delivering his speech on the Union Budget 2026-27, the politician brought up Vir and said he believed it was a ‘warning’. The actor posted a video, sharing his reaction to the MP’s speech.
What did Abhishek Banerjee say in Parliament?
On Tuesday, Abhishek referenced Vir’s 2021 ‘Two Indias’ monologue as a ‘prophecy’ and said, “Sir, in November 2021, on a stage, thousands of miles away, at the Kennedy Centre, Vir Das, a young stand-up comedian from India, spoke of two Indias. Many laughed, and some were offended.”
He added, “Few paused to listen, but what he offered was not comedy. It was a warning, a prophecy, a mirror held up to a nation standing at the edge of its own contradictions because I, too, sir, come from two Indias.”
How did Vir Das react to Abhishek Banerjee?
Vir reacted to Abhishek’s speech line by line, seemingly shocked that this was the topic under discussion in Parliament. He said, “In Parliament you…? Uh huh, where? Oh, crap. I am sorry, this is happening on the floor of parliament? Don’t do it. I remember some people laughed. (laughs) I’m sorry, some who were offended? Who? Who paused to listen? On the floor of Parliament?”
Reacting to the latter half of Abhishek’s speech, he said, “That’s what every single newspaper said, that it wasn’t. I’m sorry, you got a warning. No, I got a warning. Many warnings. A prophecy? In Parliament? No, it felt like broken glass. No, it was hiding in my house for a really long time. Where were you then?”
Vir also took the opportunity to announce the dates of his Hey Stranger – A Tour of the World, stating, “Wow. Well, folks, I’m leaving the country. I’m actually going on a world tour, and this feels like a really good time to announce it.”
What is the ‘Two Indias’ monologue being referenced?
In 2021, Vir performed a monologue at the Kennedy Centre about the ‘Two Indias’ he hailed from, highlighting the country's dichotomy. Even as he received a standing ovation at the show, he faced backlash in India. Several complaints were filed, alleging that he ‘insulted the country’ on an international platform.
Actor-MP Kangana Ranaut reacted to it on her Instagram stories, calling his monologue ‘soft terrorism’ and demanding action against him. Vir faced intense trolling and show cancellations in the aftermath, even as some politicians, including Shashi Tharoor, and fans came to his defence. Vir refused to apologise for his stance.
Vir recently directed, co-produced and starred in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, which was released on January 16.
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