Vir Das has done the unexpected: launched a craft beer. However, the name seems on brand for the actor-comedian, popular for his edgy sense of humour: FAAAAKIT.
He explains the name, over phone from Mumbai. “ To be honest, I sang the jingle first. I tried the name with various number of A’s. It took four A’s to meet the sound I wanted. More than that felt like stretching it. So I locked it at four.”
Vir, who claims he is not a heavy drinker, says, that this craft beer is neither too sweet nor bitter, and in tune with evolving trends. He hastily adds he’s not a beer snob though: “There is absolutely no need to know everything about the wine or beer one drinks. You drink what you like. Period,” he insists.
Explaining how it evolved he says, “I know the taste and feel I wanted, and that is exactly how I described the taste I was looking for to my brewer (craft breweries - Great State Aleworks).”
Vir spent over a year to find the perfect blend of flavours before the final brew was locked in — clean, crisp with low bitterness and a fruity and dry finish. The beer will be available across Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad
After beer, what next? “I am not doing anything with merchandising. I won’t sell T-shirts or shoes. And whatever I will take up after this and my 32-country world tour, will be an extension of my brand,” he says, adding that he is excited now about touring again after two years of the pandemic.
On the work front, Vir says he is working on his new sketches, and completed shooting, directing and acting for a show to be aired on an OTT platform. “I also wrapped up an American TV show titled Country Eastern with Fox Entertainment, and finished the shoot for an American movie by Judd Apatow. It is titled The Bubble, and I play the lead. These are all in the dramedy genre,” he says. He will also be shooting for a Hindi movie by the end of next year.
Popular on social media for his political humour, Vir receives both accolades and brickbats. While accolades are good, he says, “I take criticism seriously as it helps me know what my audience thinks about my work, that is what all artists do. Any response to art has been good. But at the same time, as an artist, I do not engage in hate.
