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In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood we usually see big budgets big sets and bigger stars stealing the headlines; however that is not the case with all the films. Vir Dass directorial debut Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos which recently hit the theaters was not backed by a massive budget. However the film carried something more valuable and that was none other than Aamir Khans creative involvement. Recently Vir Das opened up about the films budget and how Aamir Khan conducted 28 screenings for the same. ‘Our film’s cost might be equal to the catering budget of Border 2.’ When asked about the film’s budget Vir was candid and humorous. He said “Our film’s cost might be equal to the catering budget of Border 2.” Reacting to an AI-generated image circulating on social media which features his spy character alongside other iconic Hindi film spies such as Ranveer Singh from Dhurandhar Tiger Pathaan and Kabir from the Spy Universe he said “I think every joint family dinner table needs an idiot. You should imagine Tiger Pathaan Kabir and Ranveer’s Hamza from Dhurandhar all sitting together and I am the fool who also gets a seat.” Vir on comedy and censorship Speaking earlier at the Jaipur Literature Festival about the current climate for comedians in India Vir had said “My jokes are very much the same abroad as they are in India.” He added “I do exactly the same show no matter where Mars Pluto Bhopal or New York.” 28 focus screenings and no praise allowed Vir revealed that Aamir Khan conducted as many as 28 focus group screenings to see audience reactions. He said “We had 28 of them. And these were not for industry people. They were with a normal audience each time of different demographics.” He further shared “At the end of every screening Aamir came and told everybody ‘If you like the film we are happy. But for the next two hours no praise. Tell us what’s wrong.’ And from the feedback we received we made our third and final cut.” The ‘director audition’ before greenlighting Vir also spoke about how Aamir tested him and co-director Kavi Shastri even after hearing the script. He said “He asked us to shoot five scenes of the film not at the production level of course. He just wanted to see how we moved the camera. He saw the 14-minute clip we came up with and greenlit the project.” He added “He called me and Kavi for a narration. Then he sat with us for about five to six rewrites. He is a great lighthouse for story and is always concerned with character motivations and whether the script is tying up.” A small-budget film backed by a big vision While Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos found it difficult to make an impact at the box office earning only Rs 5.07 crore so far Vir Das shared how Aamir Khan’s backing made it special.