Vir Das: The stage persona of Hasmukh is like that of Amol Palekar

Vir Das discusses modelling his character in Hasmukh on '70s actor, and Peter Sellers

Vir Das's latest fictional series, Hasmukh, sees him in a new avatar. As the mild-mannered stand-up comic from Saharanpur who comes alive on stage only when he commits a murder before each gig, the actor turns from timid to terrifying on a dime. Turns out, the writer-actor took inspiration from Amol Palekar's on-screen parts while developing the comic side to Hasmukh's personality.

"The stage persona of Hasmukh is like that of Amol Palekar. He is so sweet that you would never expect him to have a dark side. I wanted to tap into that innocence of the character," explains Das, highlighting the vulnerability of the protagonist of the dark comedy. He also turned to his favourite comedian Peter Sellers' movies for a tip or two on portraying a seemingly innocent man with a mercurial temperament. "Peter Sellers changed like a chameleon, and that's a striking quality in Hasmukh. He can go from coy to wild in a matter of minutes. I took elements from people I have studied, and brought my own interpretation to the rest of it."

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