Vir Das recently shared his memories of shooting for the film 'Namastey London' (2007), recalling his initial experiences in Bollywood with actors Katrina Kaif and Rishi Kapoor. In a conversation on the "Moments Of Silence" podcast, Das described the stark contrast in on-set treatment and his bewilderment with the film-making process.
Das, who played a prospective groom for Katrina Kaif's character, Jasmine, in the movie, remembers being green to the ways of Bollywood. As a theatre actor, he was unfamiliar with the concept of dubbing in films. During the shoot on a terrace with Rishi Kapoor, Nina Wadia, and Katrina Kaif, Das noticed a clear distinction in how the actors were treated. According to Das, while umbrellas shielded Kaif, Kapoor, and Wadia from the sun, he and the actress playing his mother were left exposed. "There is an umbrella over Rishi Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Nina Wadia's heads. But my mother is baking in the sun," he recounted. "We are the only two sweaty people in this beautiful Bollywood scene".
Das also recounted his confusion during the scene where Katrina Kaif whispered her lines due to a lost voice. Despite her barely audible delivery, the director praised her performance, leaving Das perplexed. "The director said, 'Cut, mind-blowing. Brilliant.' And I am just sitting there and thinking: 'Am I high? She didn't say s**t," he recalled. The dialogues were repeated as the camera focused on other actors, and Das and his on-screen mother continued to endure the sun. He said that by the time it was his close-up turn, the main actors had already left.
Despite these experiences, Vir Das has said he enjoyed working with Rishi Kapoor. Looking back at his small role in "Namastey London", Das acknowledged its impact on his career. He was initially a stand-up comedian when director Vipul Shah offered him the role after attending one of his shows. Das said that he was a big fan of Rishi Kapoor and that working with him was a dream come true. Though he only had a small part, Das believes it "kind of, in a small way, kickstarted my film career".
