Shefali Shah, Jim Sarbh Miss Emmy Awards, Vir Das Landing Wins Best Comedy

Indian standup comedy Vir Das won the prestigious International Emmy Awards 2023 on Tuesday in the Unique Comedy Special category. He was nominated for Vir Das: Landing, currently streaming on Netflix. He shared the award with Derry Girls - Season 3. In November, a couple of Vir Das shows in India were cancelled due to protests from right-wing outfits. They alleged that Das would hurt Hindu religious sentiments through the show.

Indian actress Shefali Shah failed to register a win in the Best Performance by an Actress category. Mexican actor Karla Souza won the award for her performance in the series La Caida. Shah was nominated for her performance in the second season of the critically acclaimed Netflix series, Delhi Crime. Other nominees in the category included Connie Nielsen for the Danish series Drommeren and Billie Piper for the British show I Hate Suzie Too. Interestingly, Delhi Crime Season 1 became the first Indian drama to win an Emmy in 2020.

In the show, Shah essays the role of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, who investigates a gruesome quadruple murder--a crime syndicate not seen in the city for more than 20 years. The series elevated the acting graph of Shah bringing in national and international accolades.

Besides Shah, Jim Sarbh too failed to secure a win at the ceremony held in New York. He was nominated in the acting category for his show Rocket Boys. In the show, Jim played nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha--regarded as the Father of India's nuclear programme. The official synopsis states, "Based on the Pokhran nuclear test Operation Smiling Buddha, Indian scientists buckle up for an audacious attempt to test the country's first nuclear bomb as war looms. Dreams and moral ambiguities clash as India's satellite programme expands amidst a change of guard at the highest level."

Film producer Ektaa R Kapoor was honoured with the Directorate Award for her "trailblazing career and impact on the Indian television landscape".