There may be an iconic scene within the film Lakshya the place Hrithik Roshan stands on the Indo-Pak border and says that, although he had all the time recognized he was an Indian, till that second, he had by no means actually skilled this actuality emotionally. For me, that second was on the seventeenth of August once I noticed Zakir Khan carry out at Madison Sq. Backyard. It was the primary time that an Indian standup comedian had carried out on the esteemed venue in Hindi, filling the huge stadium with over 15,000 individuals who had travelled by practice, automotive, and even flown into New York to be part of this historic occasion. Zakir’s good good friend Tanmay Bhat and well-liked American comic, author and actor Hasan Minhaj opened the night for him.
Zakir Khan has distinguished himself from his friends by making a mosaic of humour, pathos, narrative and the bittersweet truths of the human situation by means of his performances. His household and shut buddies are an integral a part of his units and tales, and on this particular night, Kuntal, Vishwas, his mom, and most significantly, his father had been all with us in story and spirit. Zakir’s efficiency was titled ‘Papa yaar’, and for 2 hours, he took us down reminiscence lane, into the gullies of Indore, telling us how his relationship together with his father developed, and evocatively recreating what life was like earlier than social media, smartphones and tens of millions of various parenting types. To be truthful, there have been parts from plenty of his earlier specials like Class, Kaksha Gyarvi, Haq Se Single and my private favorite Tathastu. However the presentation was simply as impactful. The benefit with which Zakir strikes from humour to heartbreak and again to humour once more is one thing that by no means fails to amaze me. He performs to the galleries with jokes about his ex-girlfriend and the way males will probably be males, however he additionally makes house for the poet and thinker in him. Amidst the laughter, he gently diverts us onto one other path, forcing us to suppose, really feel, fall in love with language and acknowledge that our dad and mom are imperfect however irreplaceable.
Whereas Zakir stored us engaged for over two hours, what was additionally particular was the ambiance contained in the venue. There was such an amazing sense of pleasure and patriotism within the air. A person from our nation was performing on the similar venue that has seen artists like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Madonna, Elton John, Stevie Marvel, U2, and Bruce Springsteen. We smiled at one another, took photos of one another and guffawed collectively when reminded of how dad and mom within the 90s centered on three fundamental issues: feeding us, educating us, and disciplining us with a wide range of slaps and whacks. But when the time got here, they allow us to go. Allow us to go away dwelling, allow us to go away them behind, and allow us to make errors as we search our function and identification.
There have been two additional particular moments that night. The primary was when Zakir referred to as his dad and mom on a video name after his efficiency and had all of us say ‘Thanks, Papa’ collectively. The enjoyment and pleasure on their face to see their son fulfil his desires and discover a lot appreciation was heartwarming. The second was when all of us turned on the torchlight on our telephones for an image and have become an evening sky of shining lights for the person who dared to soar.
Greatest Clip I noticed at this time on Web…♥️#ZakirKhan pic.twitter.com/LC0BNCJ9OQ
— Ravi 🇮🇳 (@Vivaadit_Ravi) August 18, 2025
My good friend and I had wearing Indian garments, since Zakir had stated, “kurta pehen ke aiye, sundar ban ke aiye”. Ordinarily, I really feel aware about sporting my Indian garments in public within the US because it makes me really feel just like the odd one out. All of the stereotyping in cinema, tv, and now OTT content material has not helped issues both. However that day, we wore our Indian finery with pleasure. Folks throughout us had come wearing Kurtas, sarees, Salwar kameez or western garments. However every considered one of us there wore our identification as an Indian or particular person of Indian origin with pleasure. Within the present political atmosphere in the US, the place racial minorities are being made to really feel unsafe, and India is being focused with tariffs and punitive financial measures, gathering in such a big group at Madison Sq. Backyard and later Instances Sq. was a second of nice significance.
Along with the 1000’s of Indians there, there have been additionally Zakir’s followers of Pakistani origin within the viewers. A person from Karachi was three seats away, and two extra males of Pakistani origin had been sitting within the row forward. If he hadn’t stated he was from Karachi, I might have by no means recognized. Right here, 1000’s of miles away in America, we’re simply brown immigrants trying to forge a connection to dwelling, our childhood, and the expertise of rising up within the subcontinent. Mixing in whereas dwelling abroad typically calls for erasing components of your self that trigger you to be othered. Because of Zakir Khan, for 2 hours, all of us at Madison Sq. Backyard felt complete once more and laughed like we do after we are in a protected house.
