HYDERABAD: All the heart broken souls, who were nursing their wounded hearts found some solace after empathising with Zakir Khan’s heart aches. Funny Side Up, a Hyderabad-based standup comedy group organised the show, where in Zakir spoke about why he is ‘Forced to be Single.’ The jokes were on how girlfriends and boyfriends behave in relationships on a lighter vein. “Virat Kohli and I share a few similarities. Both of us became successful after breakup,” he laughs out.
He cracked up the auidence by narrating his breakups and dissected the types of girlfriends we find in relationships. Player is the one who is dumped by a player and wants to take revenge and thus becomes one. Overtly attached is self-explained. Yet-to-move-on is the one who is hooked to ex-boyfriend but gets into rebound relationships. Bhaimakers are the ones notorious for making everyone bhai around them. “There was a girl who made everyone her bhai. I stayed away from her. After ages, I met her and asked ‘what are you doing in life?’ Pat comes the reply, ‘I am getting married.’ I exclaimed and asked who is the lucky guy. She replied, ‘Sourab bhaiya.’ And then comes the unicorn - who is non-existtent. Towards the end, Zakir revealed to the the audience that every girl falls into every category. It is all about in what phase, the guy had met her. Zakir maintained the balance by talking about boyfriends’ pretentious behaviour.
In the exclusive interview, Zakir Khan got nostalgic and said his roommate had told him about the comedy shows and advised him to join one of them but he was in debts with canteen uncle to kirana store bhaiyya that he couldn’t afford for an extra curricular activity. “Back then in Delhi, we had to pay `500 to participate in open mics. Later I got a job, repaid all my impending bills and debts and finally in December 2011, I could afford to pay and take a slot for open mic. I was trolled majorly and was asked to leave the stage in one and half minutes,” he recalls.
Success should be gradual.Rajnesh Kapoor once said, ‘There are two types of comedians coming into the industry. One come into the field with a bang and vanish in no time and others come slowly and prove their mettle eventuality.’ I replied, ‘I don’t know I am funny or not, I am here to stay.’ Touchwood! I have proved myself.,” he smiles.
And then Comedy Central Competition after four months. Maheep Singh and he were the co-winners. “Won one lakh and thoda fame,” winks the innate humourist.
Zakir’s parents belong to an orthodox musical family. “They lost track of what I was doing. Once I told them I am writer for AIR, once I told them I was doing theatre and once I told them I am show producer in a radio station. They had no clue but asked why I couldn’t take up music. When I told them I am doing comedy, “yeh kya hai? Ek baar radio, ek baar drama but comedy kya karega?” I took them to Delhi and made them watch my show. They loved it and the rest is history,” he beams.
His USP, he says, is the real life instances that is put across in a way that will bury the bitterness in it. Zakir rose to fame with AIB On Air show. He wrote the script for the show. “I wanted to do Hindi comedy in English circuit. I did not want to do TV shows. One thing that was not in my favour was Hindi. If there is show in Chennai, nobody would ask for me (laughs out loud). AIB is a huge team. I have worked with all the four prior to On Air. They were looking for writers, who are also comedians. Abhi apan toh hai hi writer with thoda sense of humour, so they had approached me and On Air happened,” he reveals.
Zakir dreamt of being a stand up comedian from his childhood. “I was in a boys school when I was in seventh or eighth standard, I used to write down all the non-veg jokes in a book and would recite them to all the school mates. They all used to ROFL, and LOL. I moved to a co-ed school later. I hope, the book of jokes is safe and the legacy in the school is continuing,” he giggles.
Zakir feels Hyderabad has two category of people. One, who are busy making biryani and haleem and the other is busy eating. He says he loves to come here and make the warm Hyderabadis laugh till their belly hurts.