This year, a celebrity roast courted controversy and Jerry Seinfeld’s show got cancelled last minute. However, the stand-up comedy scene in India, especially in Mumbai, is going strong, believes Vir Das. “It is a highly commercial option. When I started, tickets were priced at '500, but now they cost Rs 4,000. Previously, a show would have 500 to 600 people in the audience but now, numbers have risen up to 3,000,” the stand-up comedian throws us a volley of numbers at us. However, he also adds quickly, “Stand-up comedy is not a novelty anymore. Now, a comedian needs to be good, instead of being just a comic, to draw in crowds.” With this in mind, Das has much up his sleeve for the 2016 edition of his signature festival, The Weirdass Pajama. Excerpts from a chat:

Vir Das