‘Demand for comedy will grow by leaps & bounds’

Actor-comedian Vir Das, who will start shooting for the second installment of Go Goa Gone franchise this year, says that the digital space is a boon and has nowhere but to go up.

Asked how he sees the growth of the digital space, Vir said: “Digital place has nowhere to go but up. India has possibly the most or the second most amount of smart phones in the world. Most content are watched on a smart phone right now, so there will always be a demand for stand-up comedy specifically because people need to laugh at least four times a day. We are providing that service. So, for comedy and comedians the road is only going to get better.”

Vir has previously done two standup shows on Netflix. He has now been roped in for his third project with the streaming website.

Accidental Prime Minister mints Rs 4.5 crore despite resistance

The Accidental Prime Minister, which presents Manmohan Singh’s tenure in office, collected Rs 4.5 crore in India, where protests were staged by Congress activists in some parts.

“The first day collection of The Accidental Prime Minister is Rs 4.5 crore. Eastern sector had disturbances with the release,” a statement from the film’s presenter, Pen Studios, said.

Actor Anupam Kher, who plays Manmohan Singh in the film, tweeted on Saturday: “An appeal to the authorities to stop a section of people who are indulging in acts of violence and hooliganism during the screening of our film The Accidental Prime Minister. Also a call out to other sections of people who believe in selective outrage towards Freedom of Expression.”

The film released on Friday amid tight security as Congress activists protested at some places.

The Delhi Youth Wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday wrote to cinema halls urging them not to show The Accidental Prime Minister as the film defames both Manmohan Singh and the country across the globe.

The film is based on a similarly titled book written by Sanjaya Baru, the former Prime Minister Singh’s media advisor. Baru’s book was published in April 2014.

In Punjab's Ludhiana city, the film's screening was stopped in a multiplex following protests. The activists held a protest outside the Pavilion Mall following which the multiplex management did not start the show to prevent untoward incidents.

The film was, however, screened in multiplexes in Chandigarh. In Kolkata, the screening of the film was cancelled at a theatre due to security reasons amid protest demonstrations by youth Congress activists, police said.

According to the viewers at the Hind Cinema near central Kolkata’s Chandni Chowk area, the show was cancelled after screening for just 10 minutes on its opening day. “There was an agitation by a certain group outside the hall,” a senior police officer said.