Over the years, stand-up comedian Zakir Khan has broken ceilings and defied norms. But when he recently headlined a full-length show at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden — the first Indian comedian to do so in Hindi and sell out the venue — it became a moment everyone back home came together to celebrate.
Speaking at the Express Adda in Mumbai on Thursday, Khan reflected on how stand-up comedy in India naturally leaned heavily on English initially. “The art form comes from abroad, so everybody was performing in English,” he said, “But when I saw it, I personally felt it (Hindi) was an Indian language (Bharat ki zabaan) and would touch people’s hearts. So I held my ground.”
He said he eventually found an audience that resonated with his voice and language as people’s access to the internet increased. “Hindi got its chance… of course, the language spoken by the public will be pushed up… And I personally feel this is an anti-elite era,” he said.
Born and raised in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a middle-class Rajasthani Muslim family, Khan said he consciously tried to take “the language I am comfortable in to more and more people.”
Drawing a parallel with global pop culture, he said, “If kids in India are willing to learn Korean because of content, I believe the day will come when people outside India will want to learn Hindi because of our conversations and stories.”
Khan said “there is hegemony in language, classism around how one should speak”. “The way you speak,” he added, “comes from context — where you’re from, which school you went to, which region you belong to. It’s the same with Hindi.”
Born and raised in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a middle-class Rajasthani Muslim family, Khan said he consciously tried to take “the language I am comfortable in to more and more people.” (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Khan, who was in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Devendra Pandey, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express, kept the audience engaged through candid reflections, punctuated by humour that surfaced effortlessly through the conversation.
When asked whether he, as an artist at the pinnacle of success, feels insecure, Khan spoke at length about class, inheritance and the absence of safety nets. “I pay a lot of attention to people who come from generational wealth, or from families that have been in the same profession for two or three generations, or even royal families,” he said. “I respect them a lot, because they have a hand to hold, and we don’t.”
“No matter how tall a building we construct, our foundation is fragile,” he continued. “I was supposed to be a music teacher in some school, and yet I’m standing here. No matter how much I prepare myself or reassure myself, I know my foundation is weak. I don’t have that training, that inheritance of confidence.”
Khan was in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Devendra Pandey, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Insecurity, he said, becomes a permanent companion. “You live with the constant fear that something will go wrong tomorrow, that everything could be taken away. You wake up with this thought every day because you have no backing. You are walking on a thin margin.”
“The world is divided between the haves and the have-nots — the cool and the uncool,” he said. “I have always been the leader of the uncool group. The cool group may let you enter their world, give you a seat at the table, but they are not your friends. The margin for error is razor-thin. If you slip once, you are out. Their own people can make a hundred mistakes without consequence. I walk around with the awareness that I have no margin for error.”
However, when it comes to his craft, Khan said he feels completely secure. “I carry no insecurity in my work.”
Zakir Khan with the audience members at Express Adda. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
On stand-up comics having been targeted for what they say, Khan said restraint was essential. “You can’t operate with the idea of ‘I’ll say whatever I feel like.’ Every culture and country has its ethos and sensitivities. There are certain things you simply cannot say, and one must keep that in mind.”
To a question from the audience about his aspirations for the next five years, Khan, who has built a substantial body of work across formats, said he would like to “direct, make a film”.
“Not because it will make a lot of money, and not for money at all. It’s an art form of storytelling, and I love stories. I will try and do my best. Kya pata Khuda bol de, ‘Tathasthu’ (Who knows, God may say, ‘So be it’).”
Stand-up comedian Zakir Khan at the Express Adda in Mumbai on Thursday. (Photo: Amit Chakravarty) 
Born and raised in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a middle-class Rajasthani Muslim family, Khan said he consciously tried to take “the language I am comfortable in to more and more people.” (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Khan was in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Devendra Pandey, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Zakir Khan with the audience members at Express Adda. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
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