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

record heat in uk

Although formal studies into this specific heatwave have yet to be completed

Getty Images

Met Office links record heat to human-driven climate change

Key points:

  • Britain recorded its hottest day of 2025 at 34.7°C in central London on Tuesday.
  • The Met Office said it was “virtually certain” the extreme heat was linked to human-driven climate change.
  • Gritters were deployed to protect road surfaces from melting due to high temperatures.
  • A fire broke out near Herne Hill station after an electrical box exploded.
  • June 2025 was England’s hottest June on record according to provisional Met Office data.

Heatwave hits peak as temperatures reach 34.7°C in London

Britain experienced its hottest day of the year on Tuesday, with temperatures climbing to 34.7°C in central London. The Met Office attributed the extreme weather to human-induced climate change, citing overwhelming scientific evidence from previous heatwave studies. While no formal climate attribution study has yet been conducted for June 2025’s heat events, experts say such conditions are now far more likely due to global warming.

The figure recorded at St James’s Park in Westminster was the highest of 2025 so far, prompting a range of emergency responses and public health alerts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama attends a prayer ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj on May 7, 2025.

Getty Images

Dalai Lama confirms spiritual role will continue after his death

THE DALAI LAMA has said that the 600-year-old Tibetan spiritual institution will continue after his death, and that his office will have the sole responsibility of naming his successor. The announcement came on Wednesday through a video message at the start of a religious leaders’ meeting in the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.

"In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," he said, according to an official translation. The Dalai Lama also said he had received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from Tibetans in exile, Buddhists across the Himalayan region, Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China urging him to ensure the continuation of the institution.

Keep ReadingShow less
starmer

Starmer had already softened the proposals last week following criticism from Labour MPs who said the planned cuts to disability and sickness benefits went too far. (Photo:

Getty Images

Starmer makes major concessions on welfare bill to avoid defeat in Commons

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer avoided a parliamentary defeat on key welfare reforms on Tuesday, after agreeing to further concessions amid growing pressure from within the Labour Party.

Starmer had already softened the proposals last week following criticism from Labour MPs who said the planned cuts to disability and sickness benefits went too far.

Keep ReadingShow less
Visa UK

The aim is to attract graduate-level or above workers, making several low-paid roles ineligible for visas. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Government unveils stricter visa rules, to take effect from July 22

THE GOVERNMENT on Tuesday introduced the first set of tougher immigration rules in the House of Commons aimed at reducing the recruitment of foreign skilled workers, including in the care sector. The new measures are described as a “complete reset” of the UK’s immigration system.

The proposed changes, originally outlined in an ‘Immigration White Paper’ in May, include raising the skills and salary thresholds for foreign workers — including those from India — ending overseas recruitment for care worker roles, and removing more than 100 occupations, such as chefs and plasterers, from the shortage occupation list that currently allows certain visa exemptions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

Keir Starmer speaks during a reception for public sector workers at 10 Downing Street in London on July 1, 2025. (Photo by CARL COURT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer faced the most serious test of his leadership on Tuesday (1) as his government’s flagship welfare reforms came under fierce attack from within his own party.

The day was marked by emotional speeches, last-minute concessions, and a deep sense of division among Labour MPs, many of whom said the proposed changes would push vulnerable people into poverty

Keep ReadingShow less