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Im done playing by the rules.
Because I wasnt a part of setting these rules.
And my career has had to conform to these rules for too long.
So next year, Im going to effectively give a shot to end my career.
Days after his arrest, Das released the first Ten on Ten.
Its focus is religion, the topic that got Faruqui arrested.
you’re able to read an excerpt from the transcript or listen to the full episode below.
Tune in toGood Oneevery Thursday onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Overcast, orwherever you get your podcasts.
So I was getting a lot of hate for that.
I had to fight a court case in front of the high court to defend jokes.
Thankfully, the case went my way.
Then the government started with a sort of rhetoric of These comedians are disrespectful and disrespecting our majority religion.
He spent a month in jail.
That was what was on everybodys mind.
And I just had it.I love religious material genuinely.
Im fascinated by it.
Ive done it in two specials.
Im fascinated with mythologies and stories and how they affect human behavior.
So, yeah, I was just angry, but people were, too.
Are you scared having done it?Man, Im pretty sure my day will come.
Im pretty sure there will come a day when I will say something wrong from the systems perspective.
I really like talking about these things and how its not just your God, but my God.
I have to get ahead of it.
I come from a place of privilege far ahead of most English comics.
Im like,Man, if I cant fight this, what shot does the kid in jail have?
What shot does the next kid who does it at an open mic have?
I need to step up on this.
Partly because English-speaking, Western-style stand-up is relatively new there.
Plus you have the government actively trying to censor people.
How does it feel to be in it?
How risky does it feel to be a comedian?For me, significantly less than younger comedians.
For me, significantly less than Hindi comedians.
I can cover legal fees.
In India, we comedians have this lovely, silent culture of when we know guys in legal trouble.
Its sort of a Hey man, Im gonna send you this cash.
It seems like a different world, doesnt it?
And yet that world is watching your political comedy shows.
I can watch John Oliver on my television right now.
Maybe theyve censored one or two things.
I doubt they even would.
But, I mean, I could do it.
Wed last one episode.
So, Id much rather book a forest and do it that way.
Every platform has also been very kind to me.
Netflix has been super-kind to me.
Amazon has been super-kind to me.
At the end of the day, platforms are people.
And I like the people over at Netflix.
They support my art.
So, no, I wouldnt want somebody showing up at somebodys office.
I wouldnt want any of that stuff.
Political comedy can no longer be done with polish or with gloss.
You have to take the gloves off now.
I think it needs a revamp.
I feel like sometimes your comedians get streamlined into those audiences.
I feel like the really audacious thing is to take on the whole thing.
