“Zakir bhai Madison Square Kha Gaya (Zakir Bhai ate Madison Square),” this is the sentiment in Zakir Khan’s friend circle after his historic performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He became the first Indian comic ever to perform there. It’s a metaphor for his ever-growing hunger, which only seems to increase with time.
On October 8, 2023, when he performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall in front of 6,000 fans and received a 20-minute standing ovation, it felt Khan had peaked. But it did not placate his hunger; it only fuelled it further. With more than 15,000 fans, his performance at Madison Square Garden proved that he is here to write history and this milestone has increased his hunger for more.
In his show, he famously said, “Hum bhook ke pale bacche hain, ek din sabkuch kha ke jayenge, ab ghar se nikle hain toh itihas likh ke jayenge (We are children raised on hunger; one day, we will devour everything. Now that we have stepped out of our homes, we will leave only after creating history)”. These lines — spoken by a comic from a developing country, performing in the US — are a statement of pride. They carry the raw hunger of a generation: for opportunities, for recognition. By acknowledging this hunger, he turned his personal victory into a collective one.
Born and brought up in Indore, Zakir later moved to Jaipur and Delhi for work. His friends believe he has always carried a unique charm. “Zakir had an aura around him from the very beginning, and everyone knew it,” says Nihal Parashar, a playwright and writer. He adds, “I suggested he focus on poetry because, at the time, I didn’t see a career in comedy. I first noticed his remarkable talent in poetry. Back in 2012, stand-up comedy wasn’t considered a big deal.” Parashar met Zakir through his poetry club, Mulaqat, in Delhi around 2011-12.
Alongside odd jobs and writing gigs in radio and commercials, Zakir continued performing at open mics. In 2012, he won India’s Best Stand-Up Comedian, organised by Comedy Central India, which became a major breakthrough moment for him. Three years later, he co-hosted and wrote ‘On Air with AIB’, and from there, his rise only accelerated.
In the last couple of years, especially with his five amazon specials, Zakir has established himself as a storytelling comic. These specials include Haq se single (2017)Kaksha Gyarvi (2018), Tathastu (2022), Mannpasand (2023), and Delulu Express (2025). With a pathos-driven narrative, combined with the ethos of small-town youth, Zakir mindfully connects with everyone who listens to him. His craft rests on five major characteristics: existential irony, cathartic laughter, tragicomedy of the self, melancholic wit, and poetic realism.
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Vishwas Sharma, a writer-director and one of Zakir’s closest friends, says, “He has the sharpest memory.” To this, Parashar adds, “He would remember even the colour of a shirt,” About his craft, Parashar adds, “I don’t know if he writes any of his specials on a paper; he writes in his mind and performs.”
Khan’s stories and acts are mostly rooted in real-life storytelling. For instance, his special Papa Yaar explores his relationship with his father and his years in Delhi. Similarly, in his Amazon Prime special TathastuZakir reflects on growing up with his grandfather and the influence he had on him. All his specials draw from lived experiences. His stage feels like an extension of his life, where he transforms personal memories into collective narratives. Zakir loves to observe people, experience life, and weave those observations into his craft and writing.
Khan is known for his friendships. Rishabh Pratipaksh, a Hindi writer, says “Zakir may remain out of touch for months but when he meets you or calls you, he gives his everything.” Sharma, who has been a friend of Zakir’s for a long time, once told me that Zakir is “doston ka dost” (a friend’s friend). He knows how to nurture friendships, and because of that, in Mumbai, a city where networking usually takes precedence, Zakir created a tribe of friends who play cricket with him, hang out, and support each other.
I first met Zakir on the cricket ground. Once, when we were batting, Zakir was on non-striker’s end and I was facing the ball — the last wicket. He knew I wasn’t the one to hit big boundaries, but that I could stay and defend. He walked up to me and said, “See! We have 46 runs, which are enough. But I want to see you bat.” It was only my second day playing with him, but the level of understanding he struck with me stayed with me.
In the last decade, the Indian stand-up comedy scene has boomed miraculously, and Zakir has emerged as its epitome. While his peers in 2012 — Vir Das, Tanmay Bhat, and others — largely performed in English, Zakir chose Hindi as his language of performance. Carving out a space for himself and becoming the keystone of a new genre of comedy has been his remarkable feat.
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Zakir’s current Instagram bio reads, Sakht launda, jiske liye badal important hai (tough guy, for whom clouds are important)” — a line from his first viral set in 2015. The Sakht launda image quickly earned him a massive following, but it also drew criticism for being “toxically male.” Over the years, however, this persona has completely transformed. The way Zakir now mimics women and speaks about their emotions without a hint of condescension has earned him a significant women following. Many women fans say, “Zakir understands women better than any other comic.” This change, which he consciously brought into himself, not only enriched his craft but also allowed him to gain a trusted and diverse following.
“Zakir listens to his critics,” says Pratipaksh. And it shows in how he has honed his craft. In his early videos, where the comedy was largely slapstick, it was hard to imagine that Zakir would one day open up a cult style uniquely his own. Today, many try to imitate him, blending humour with poetry, but Zakir does it in a way only he can. As comedian Hasan Minhaj recently wrote on Instagram, he “….elevates the genre of comedy to places I’ve never seen before.”
Sharad Tripathi, a writer and director and a close friend of Zakir, once told me, “Other people’s acts go viral; in Zakir’s case, he goes viral.” Whatever he says, whatever he talks about, becomes a hit, endlessly repeated in reels and short clips. He shares wisdom with people around him, and that keeps his work relevant while helping him connect with audiences across spectrums.
For small-townies, expression often comes with difficulty, especially for men. It is a common thread that connects generations. Zakir, with his remarkable expressiveness, has given voice to emotions that usually remain unspoken — whether in conversations with fathers, mothers, sisters, friends, or brothers. From the lanes of discomfort to comfort, and with humour woven throughout, he connects his own pathos with audiences across generations.
His latest special, Delulu Expressborrows its name from Gen Z lingo. It isn’t just symbolic — Zakir seems to have spent significant time understanding Gen Z sensibilities. While many comics simply make jokes about Gen Z or millennials, he focuses instead on what different generations share, and where they differ — and why those differences matter.
“Even though he doesn’t talk much about reading, Zakir comes across as a well-read comic,” says Parashar. For Zakir, reading isn’t confined to books, “I learn from people,” he often says, attributing his success to those around him. He is what people around him are — which is why he created a full tribe of friends, each meticulously chosen. As he often puts it, “Work can be 19, but a man should be 20.”
This is Zakir Khan — and this is his Zakirism. His victory is not just his own but a celebration for all his admirers and friends. He often quotes a line from Frank Sinatra’s song, My Way: “When I bit off more than I could chew/ But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. And did it my way.” He always does it his way. “Whenever it feels like Zakir has lost or missed the mark, I always find him planning the biggest heist”, Sharma concludes.