Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

There is no agenda when I do stand-up: Comedian Zakir Khan

Khan is regarded as one of the popular names on the Indian comedy circuit

There is no agenda when I do stand-up: Comedian Zakir Khan

COMEDIAN Zakir Khan says his aim as a comedian has always been to connect and entertain the audience without making any kind of commentary.

Khan is regarded as one of the popular names on the Indian comedy circuit due to his witty stand-up performances where he often uses his real-life tragic and humorous stories as a tool to evoke laughter.


The comedian said his humour may seem quite relatable to the audience but he never tries to convey any message to them.

“I just say what I want to the audience. There is no agenda when I do stand-up. I am a professional comedian and I have tickets for my show, so every penny should be worth it. I make sure I entertain the audience enough. I try to give the audience their value,” Khan told PTI in an interview.

He said it makes him happy that some of his punch lines, like ‘sakht launda’ and ‘Badal important hai’, have become popular among the people.

“My idea is to not fall for these people and be a ‘sakht launda’, someone who does not get swayed away but reacts in the right way. The concept has come from my own experiences and struggles,” he said.

Khan said he often derives material for comic acts from his interactions with unknown and random people, a habit that he has since childhood. At the same time, the comedian asserted that people are not “content” for him.

“I have this habit of talking to strangers and I remember them. I recently went to my ancestral village, stayed there for a few days and saw how people are there. On a weekly basis, I try to meet as many as 25 new people. But people are not content for me. I meet people because I like it,” the comedian said.

With a massive fan following, not only at his live shows, but even on social media platforms, Khan said he feels grateful for all the love coming his way.

The comedian, who shot to fame in 2012 after he won the title of Comedy Central’s “India’s Best Stand Up”, has over 7 million subscribers on his YouTube channel as well as 4.5 million and 1.2 million followers on Instagram and Twitter, respectively.

“I am happy being a comedian. This profession has given me a lot. I get a lot of respect and I am blessed to be a comedian,” Khan added.

The comedian now returns as a judge for the third season of Prime Video show “Comicstaan”, which premiered on Friday.

Khan said watching the contestants on the show reminded him of his initial days in the industry.

“Every time I see anybody performing, it is a pleasure to see how they are doing things on stage. It reminds you of how you have been over the years,” he added.

Popular comedians Neeti Palta, Sumukhi Suresh and Kenny Sebastian also serve as co-judges on season three of the talent hunt show, where stand-up comics from across the country compete over a span of eight episodes.

One of the key factors that Khan looks for in a contestant is the presence of mind, he said.

“You can spend a lot of time writing a script but on stage how you use your presence of mind is important as it shows your background, the life that you have lived and many other things,” Khan added.

Produced by Only Much Louder (OML), “Comicstaan” is hosted by Abish Mathew and Kusha Kapila.

The 34-year-old comic refers to himself as ‘sakht launda’, even on his Instagram and Twitter bio, and he said the idea stems from his own experiences and struggles.

“Sakht is a genderless concept. It is more about yourself and your self-respect, and not being played on by people. There are a lot of men and women who will sweet talk to get things done and they don’t mean any business after that.

(PTI)

More For You

Monsoon floods kill hundreds in Pakistan, many still trapped

Mourners offer funeral prayers for victims of flash floods in Buner district in northern Pakistan's mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 16, 2025. (Photo by AZIZ BUNERI/AFP via Getty Images)

Monsoon floods kill hundreds in Pakistan, many still trapped

RESCUE operations are ongoing in northwest Pakistan, where more than 150 people remain missing after days of heavy monsoon rains caused deadly flash floods and landslides.

The disaster has left at least 344 people dead in the region, with the national death toll surpassing 650 since the monsoon season began in late June.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afzal Khan resigns as UK trade envoy after northern Cyprus visit
Afzal Khan

Afzal Khan resigns as UK trade envoy after northern Cyprus visit

LABOUR MP Afzal Khan has stepped down from his role as the UK’s trade envoy to Turkey following criticism over a personal visit to the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.

Khan, who represents Manchester Rusholme, travelled to the self-declared Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus recently. The region is not recognised by the UK government, as Turkish forces have occupied the northern third of the island since 1974.

Keep ReadingShow less
US trade negotiators cancel New Delhi visit, talks delayed

FILE PHOTO: US president Donald Trump meets with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US trade negotiators cancel New Delhi visit, talks delayed

A PLANNED visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been called off, a source said, delaying talks on a proposed trade agreement and dashing hopes of relief from additional US tariffs on Indian goods from August 27.

The current round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement is now likely to be deferred to another date that has yet to be decided, the source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Healthcare professional

Healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23 per cent of HSE nurses and midwives, according to the Irish public health service provider. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Irish health service warns of impact as Indian staff face racist attacks

IRELAND'S Health Service Executive and the largest nurses’ union have spoken out against the “racist abuse and assaults” targeting members of the Indian community and cautioned that their exodus would have a “dramatic impact" on the healthcare sector.

In a statement on Wednesday (13), the Health Service Executive (HSE) said the effective operation of many essential health services in Ireland would be “seriously threatened” without the support of the thousands of international staff employed in the country’s hospitals and community services.

Healthcare professionals from India, Africa and other Asian countries account for 23 per cent of HSE nurses and midwives, according to the Irish public health service provider.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ricky Jones

Ricky Jones attends an anti-racism protest in Walthamstow, London. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Councillor Ricky Jones acquitted over 'throats cut' remarks

A COUNCILLOR was on Friday (15) acquitted of encouraging violent disorder for saying far-right activists should have their throats cut amid riots last year, drawing claims from right-wing politicians of a hypocritical "two-tier" justice system.

Ricky Jones made the comments at a counter-protest in London after three girls were murdered in Southport last summer and he was suspended by the Labour party.

Keep ReadingShow less