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Zakir Khan, widely regarded as one of the most celebrated stand-up comics in India, has scripted history by becoming the first comedian to perform a show in Hindi at New York City’s famous indoor arena, Madison Square Garden. Renowned for his anecdotal and observational humour, Zakir rose to fame in 2012 after winning Comedy Central’s “India’s Best Stand-Up” competition. He eventually went on to become one of the most acclaimed comics in the country, thanks to his “sakth launda” persona, relatable sets and ability to weave into them poetry and a bit of philosophy.
On Sunday, Zakir Khan performed to a sold-out audience of 6,000, which included Indian-origin American comedian and television host Hasan Minhaj. Taking to Instagram, Hasan gave a resounding shoutout to his “bhai” for the massive achievement. Sharing a carousel post featuring photos from the event, he wrote, “A historic night for comedy around the world! Last night I got to see my brother Zakir Bhai become the first comedian in history to headline Madison Square Garden entirely in Hindi. He combines storytelling and poetry in ways that elevate the genre of comedy to places I’ve never seen before. I also think my parents love him more than me (I’m okay with that).”
Zakir Khan also took to his Instagram to share glimpses from the monumental night. Soon, his comment section was flooded with congratulatory messages, including from show business tycoons. While legendary actor Tabu congratulated him with several applause emojis, Vir Das — considered one of the pioneers of the modern Indian stand-up comedy scene — expressed his admiration for the comedian. Iranian-American comedian-actor Max Amini, actors Zareen Khan, Kritika Kamra and Ahsaas Channa, and comic Aaditya Kulshreshth aka Kullu also heaped praise on him.
Actor Arjun Kapoor, too, penned a sweet note for Zakir. “Fantastic Zakir bhai, Madison Square Garden sold out!!! Making all of us proud,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories. Comics Munawar Faruqui, Harsh Gujral, Rahul Dua and Devaiah Bopanna, as well as actor Gajraj Rao, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, entrepreneur-social media personality Nikhil Kamath and mentalist Suhani Shah also expressed their adoration for Zakir on social media.
Born and raised in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Zakir Khan was training himself to become a serious musician when he chanced upon standup comedy. Hailing from a family of musicians, he also holds a diploma in sitar. “I started watching the videos of Russell Peters somewhere in 2009, and that was my introduction to stand-up. The next year, I was unemployed and in Delhi. One day, a potential employer came and offered a stand-up gig to my roommate. He didn’t take me because I was too smart to take to a ‘happening place’. So my roommate came back and told me that the comedy scene is growing and that I could totally kill it. I had the material and jokes… All from my life experiences,” he told the publication in 2019, recalling his foray into the world of comedy.
Although his initial stint bombed, Zakir did not give up and kept honing his craft. He eventually started doing live shows more often and also wrote the comedy show, On Air with AIB. In 2018, he arrived with his own streaming series, Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare. Created and headlined by Zakir, the Amazon Prime Video show became an instant hit and has had three seasons so far. He also appeared as a judge on the stand-up comedy competition Comicstaan for two seasons.
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