MUMBAI: It seems the experimentation genome is spreading wildly among Indian rock bands. So far, listeners have loved comedy rock bands like Khiladi and Workshop for their wit, stage acts, and costumes and of course, the whacky lyrics. Now the concept has made its way into a play as well.

The new addition to the genre is standup comedian Vir Das' comedy rock band christened Alien Chutney, which is an integral part of his new play 'Walking on Broken Das' produced by Ashvin Gidwani. As a part of the comic play, the band performs some hilarious songs at the end of each show. "We play blues and rock with some retarded lyrics written by me," quips Das. The band has Das himself on vocals.

"Alien Chutney comprises Kabir Singh and Kaizad (keyboards) - both wonderful musicians" he avers. The trio has been making music for the past two years, but got their music out through 'Walking on Broken Das'. However, unlike other bands, Alien Chutney does not perform as an individual act as of yet – "We only perform on the sets,... he says.

The band, however, does plan to release its album, complete with eight musical tracks. Das however refuses to reveal  the name of the label they are signed on for this album.

Vir Das is known for his fearless brand of intelligent comedy on shows like CNBC's News on the Loose. Besides, he is also part of the cast of HBO's new comedy mini series entitled 'Mumbai Calling' which is currently on air. On being asked about his new play pegged as a 'spiritual comedy', Das says, "This is sort of an advice for life, I am a wellness guru who is funny, and I look at the funny side of spiritual oneliners, which we find in books like 'The Secret'". His act 'Walking on Broken Das' premiered this February.

Other bands that tickle

Workshop which is the brainchild of Sahil Makhija, is also loaded with terrible wit and humour. Watching these guys jam is absolute fun - mainly because of their lyrics. The song concepts vary from Mallika Sherawat to omelette recipes - you can imagine the rest! They also participated in this year's Channel [V] band hunt.

Khiladi on the other hand is the brainchild of Rohit (popularly known as P-Man). They play 'Metal and Roll' and their musical influences range from  Brahma, Pin Drop Violence, Metallica and Akshay Kumar (for all his trademark poses which can be applied on stage whilst playing live and holding guitars with that extra zing for visual appeal). They like to describe themselves as a band that pays homage to song writing. Their album Darde Rock and Roll is currently being recorded. It has nine tracks in total (six tracks plus three bonus tracks).

The concept of comedy rock band is certainly not new to India. The west has had several artistes, for instance Weird -al. However, with Vir Das' experience in stand-up comedy, it might as well give the listener a different stroke.