With Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, actor-director Vir Das has done everything that goes against mainstream Bollywood culture. At a time when Hindi cinema is dominated by heightened spy actioners led by angry alpha men, Das arrives with a spy comedy — one where the protagonist is the punchline.

It’s not just the film’s screenplay that is counter-culture; its making also goes against the grain of the Hindi film industry, Das tells mid-day. Producers have lately raised concerns over soaring entourage costs. So, the rules on the Happy Patel set — no mobile phones, no entourage, and one common hair and make-up crew for all — come as a surprise. For Das, the maths was simple. To finish the film on a tight budget and within a short schedule, he needed to do the opposite of what the industry considers normal.