Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out 193. Vir Das Returns: How to Find Your Voice, Literally
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Nov 24, 2025 Vir Das, a renowned comedian, actor, and author, returns to share insights from his memoir, The Outsider. He discusses losing his voice weeks before major shows and his journey of vocal recovery. The conversation explores his two live formats, The Sounds of India and storytelling at Lincoln Center. Vir reflects on balancing his Bollywood career with authentic stand-up. He also sheds light on the importance of storytelling, the impact of the pandemic on relationships, and the evolving nature of feedback in comedy.
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Throat Exam Clip Misread Online
- Vir Das shared a graphic throat exam clip and received confused comments about what the image looked like.
- He had to blur the image more to avoid misinterpretation and content triggers.
Vocal Crisis Before A Special
- Vir Das literally lost his voice to vocal cysts weeks before a filmed special and faced a six-month prognosis.
- He worked with Adele's speech therapist and recovered enough to perform in seven weeks.
Write The Book You Actually Need To Write
- Write about failure and confusion if that's your truthful angle, not whatever a publisher demands.
- Vir Das chose The Outsider to center on being confused and failing rather than a conventional success memoir.