Have to be smart in role selection: Vir Das

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) He has been overloaded with scripts ever since his role in "Delhi Belly" received rave reviews, but stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das doesn't want to risk being stereotyped and feels he has to be smart to pick his roles.

"I don't see myself doing only comedy roles. Yes, what I am mostly offered is very much comical, but there are different comedy roles and that is what I am aiming at. I have to be smart to see what I choose," Vir told IANS in an interview.

"I have two careers and hence the luxury of choosing what I want to do, I can afford to take a call," he added.

The 32-year-old, who is a trained method actor from Harvard University, candidly admits he always wanted to be an actor, but the idea came to his mind after he watched "Rang De Basanti" and realised that Bollywood was his true calling.

"I always wanted to be an actor. But then, I was more into stand-up comedian act and never took it seriously, till I watched 'Rang De Basanti'.

"I came back home and told myself - 'What an idiot I am... I need to be doing films'. So that is how the fire in my belly started and slowly things fell in place," he added.

Vir made his Bollywood debut in "Mumbai Salsa" in 2007 and since then, has done cameos in several movies like "Namaste London" and "Love Aaj Kal". He bagged his first major role in "Badmaash Company", before his full potential as an actor was explored effortlessly in Abhinay Deo's "Delhi Belly".

"Being a trained actor, I don't have any trouble in crying. I can cry naturally, and it has also taught me certain body range. But the real actor in me was recognised by Abhinay," he said.

"So, my character Arup in the movie wasn't a funny guy. He had anger in him which was to be shown through facial expressions, which had to be controlled. So this was not a regular comic role," he added.

Vir has been doing stand-up comedy shows since 2003 and with lady luck smiling on him, the actor is clear about balancing his two professional lives.

"People know me because of my stand-up comedian act and I will never neglect that part of my life. That is how I got appreciation and was recognised. I got 'Badmash Company' because of that only. Yes, but it's getting really tough to juggle between the two, but I can't ignore what has brought me here," he said.

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Delhi Belly