Once known for his prank calls, comedian and actor Danish Sait talks about his lockdown videos that have achieved viral fame
I didn't plan this," Danish Sait quips over a phone call from his Bengaluru home insisting he was just anxious and scared, like everyone else. Now a familiar sight on social media platforms, it's where he has been producing lockdown videos. It isn't the first time Sait has gone 'viral'. His prank calls as an RJ circulated far and wide even landing him a film, Humble Politician Nograj. And yet, all his characters were firmly rooted in his home city's diversity, drawing from different dialects spoken across town.
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When the lockdown was announced, Sait posted his first video. In his trademark style, casual, witty and full of varied accents. Some of his characters include the domestic help Jaya who receives a red-carpet welcome from her employer who misses her salon dearly, the Anglo-Indian who regrets not stocking up on his tipple, and even Gopal the goat. "When I was talking to my friends I realised that everyone was saying the same things. I did a mash-up of it, and it went viral," he says, adding that he has now made over 40 such videos. The latest one is on Zoom calls. "I've been on Zoom like everyone else right now. It's not rocket science to guess the discrepancies that come with it," he explains. His material comes from everyday conversations. "The best thing to do is just ask people how they are doing and the rest pours in," he says. He does though, bounce off the first cut with a few friends including fellow comedian Vamsi Bhogaraju.
Danish Sait plays Jaya in a video
Sait improvises with props in these videos that have received lakhs of views by now. From a bottle of rum to a box of tissues, anything can be a stand-in for a handset. "I had only one phone and had to use it to shoot. The lack of production equipment became a trend," he says.
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently re-tweeted the videos. "Senior sports journalist Ayaz Memon has posted them, and Vidya Balan and Anushka Sharma have liked videos. To think I provide them entertainment is overwhelming," Sait says.
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