A stand-up phenomenon called ‘Zakirism’

Zakir Khan’s close friend, Vishwas Sharma, describes him with a chuckle, “a friend’s friend.” Sharma is no stranger to Khan’s success. On April 25, Zakir released the third season of his popular Amazon Prime Video series, ‘Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare’. The show, Khan’s major passion project set in his hometown, Indore, is an ode to the town, a pathos-driven comic exploration of romance, friendship and Machiavellian political drama. 

Rohit Pathak, aka Ronny, essayed by Khan, is a lot similar to the persona he portrays on stage — a blend of pathos, heroism, lover, friend, filial duties, and small town aspirations. But who is Zakir Khan? He has been interviewing actors, doing stand-up tours all over the world, writing, and acting in his own shows. Khan is, by far, the most famous comedian in India. The reason for that is his journey, and his connect with his audience which could be divided into three categories. First is die-heart followers of his ‘Sakht Launda’ (a self aware man with a lot of self control who can’t get swayed by cunning girls) image, second, youngsters who consume pathos-driven nostalgic content which is the biggest cohort on the Internet, and third, primary consumer of English speaking comedy enamoured by his story-telling abilities (this cohort includes many celebrities).

His shayaris, quotes, and everyday life philosophy often go viral, encapsulating the essence of ‘Zakirism’ — a phenomenon that he associates with himself. He regards his audience as his friends, his ‘bros’, and his sets revolve around common ‘bro-problems’, and emotions in his stand-ups. For instance, in one performance, Khan shares how his mother feels proud boasting to her friends, “My boy won’t eat unless I feed him.” This anecdote highlights his effort to understand his mother’s affection, a sentiment relatable to many. Only he can manage such emotional sets and make people laugh and cry, at the same time.

He is honest and has a very sharp understanding of society, politics and cinema. His observations, and ability to balance poignancy and laughter makes him go viral — “his videos don’t go viral, the person Zakir goes viral,” says Sharad Tripathi, Hindi writer and his friend. Khan has four shows on Amazon Prime Video, ‘Haq Se Single’ (2017), ‘Kaksha Gyarvi’ (2018), ‘Tatashthu’ (2022) and ‘Mannpasand’ (2023). Each of them depicts a version of Khan, ‘Haq Se Single’, was about his much publicised image, ‘Sakht Launda’, in which he tells rambling stories of romance and relationships. Khan also faced flak for the ‘Sakht Launda’ image, as it “heavily relied” on stereotypes about women. 

But his later shows like ‘Mannpasand’, offered a far better version of him. What’s intriguing was that this set was a continuation of his famed ‘Sakht Launda’ era jokes. Here he poignantly, and maturely talks about social awkwardness, his relationship with Harvard graduate girlfriend, male friendships, ennui, and small-town sensibilities. It showed that Khan listens to his critics, and he has improved his jokes and style. He seems to have put efforts into understanding women, as now his jokes do not come across as mocking but as sensible ‘mimicry’. 

Rishabh Pratipaksh, a Hindi writer and Zakir’s friend says, “Every artiste grows, and Khan too grew with time. He listens to his critics very carefully and empathetically. Now, see the kind of comedy he does, the kind of jokes he writes. He amassed a huge following, due to his sensible comedy. Empathy is the reason behind his success.”

Tripathi contends that, “Zakir has made himself ‘the Zakir’, by honing his craft, by learning from his friends.” Rishabh adds, “Khan is very grounded, and always up for new learnings. He does not criticise any of his fellow artistes or anyone in general. He prefers to learn from everyone.” On October 8 last year, he became the first Asian artiste to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

“This was not just a proud moment for him, but all of his friends, who have been a part of his journey,” concludes Sharma.