What sent Indian comic Zakir Khan into a mini-retirement?

The OG Sakht launda (tough guy) Zakir Khan, a stand-up comic who has been tickling funny bones for over a decade thanks to a sense of humour that blends anecdotes with the inner workings of Indian society, has decided to put away the mike for a bit. After his recent show in Dubai, the comic spoke to Gulf News about why his reason for success is also the reason he needs a mini-retirement.

Born to a musical family in Indore – he is the grandson of Sarangi Maestro Ustad Moinuddin Khan – the 38-year-old knows the value of practice, effort, and discipline when trying to get ahead.

And like most Millennials, this tough work ethic has won him fame and fans but extracted a toll on his health.

“I’ve been touring for many years now… I need to take care of my health,” he told Gulf News, when talking about his break.

As the first person in his family to take to the stage as a comedian, Khan didn’t have an easy time of it. He’s had to build contacts, socialize, and travel relentlessly to win over the kind of crowd that he now draws. “When you are the first in your family to do something, you have to build a lot of bridges, so that the people who will come after don’t have to suffer the same things you did. And that’s what I’ve done for 10 years. As a result, in every city you have to have a little family, those who will come to your events, show you around, tell you about the place… make you feel ‘at home’,” he explains.

However, this has also meant him putting his own needs on the backburner. “Relationships take work, time and effort. And so where will that time come from? For me, it’s from my sleeping schedule. But if you keep your foot on an escalator for 10 years, your body is bound to suffer,” he laughs.

He is also predisposed to certain issues, he explains, saying that epigenetics tend to present at a particular age.

After gaining recognition as India’s Best Stand Up in 2012, by Comedy Central, Khan’s career took off. He wrote scripts for radio shows, worked on web series, participated as a judge on reality shows, and produced specials such as Haq se Single hai, Tathastu, and Delulu Express.

As someone who breathes showbiz – “I want to do this when I’m 80,” he says – he tried to balance the scales last year. “So in the past year, I thought I’d work on my health alongside my work. But then when I was in the US last year, I realised that I couldn’t focus on both at the same time. So I announced it last year, in September in fact, that I’d be taking a break.”

“I absolutely love doing stand-up, and I want to do it when I'm 80 as well. So in order to do that then, I need to do this now.”