Varun Thakur's Snapchat character, Vicky, to make debut on stage this weekend
ADVERTISEMENT
Comedians in India aren't resting on their laurels. Despite regular gigs and money, they are constantly trying to up their game. Varun Thakur -- the 29-year-old Mumbai-based comic — is one of them; he is all set to do a Sacha Baron Cohen at a gig this weekend. He will be making people laugh being in the shoes of Vicky Malhotra (the fictional character, created by him, that is a rage on Snapchat). The gig titled Vicky This Side, Varun That Side, is likely to leave people in splits due to its spontaneity.
Inspiration from the West
Cohen, the English actor and comedian, exposed a different genre of comedy in the film, Borat. He played the title role (that of a Kazakh journalist in the United States). Though fictional, his real-life interactions with Americans in the film were hilarious.
“I want to make Vicky, the Borat of India. Since he became popular, I had to bring him out of Snapchat. I have ideas for a film, a web series and a talk show. I can't shoot that if he remains confined within the Android world,” says Thakur, who is undergoing make-up trials to look closer to Vicky (as seen on the App through face filters).
Vicky – the character
“He is a struggling actor who came from New Delhi and now lives in Lokhandwala. He says the most inappropriate things and lives on his father's money. He is a chauvinist with arrogance. Vicky is someone who believes if he doesn't get selected in a film, it means the casting director doesn't know his job. It is a loss for the film and not him,” explains Thakur, who wanted to challenge himself after six years of good run in the stand-up industry. “Imagine bringing a fake person to life, I will do real stories on a fake person,” he adds.
If he nails it to perfection, he will be the first stand-up comedian in India to step into a character. “I am combining my strengths to make the character lively. I am doing comedy as well as acting. So much so that people should enquire about Vicky,” he says.
Vicky already found fans in film stars like Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan.
On February 25, 6.30 pm onwards
At Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Junction 24th and 32nd Road, Near Patwardhan Park, Off Linking Road, Bandra (W).
Call 9892585856
Cost '399 onwards