Comedian Zakir Khan has gained global renown for his witty sense of humour and ability to leave audiences in stitches. His standup comedy style has always impressed his fans, with many lauding his choice of topics, artful storytelling, and genuine advice woven into his acts. However, this time, the standup comedian sat down not to crack jokes but rather to discuss a more serious topic — the racism Indians face from white people. Zakir opened up about his own experience with the same.
Zakir Khan sat down for a candid chat with Max Amini, during which he opened up about the racism Indians endure from white people. The comedian noted that Indians who flew first class were always expected to be decked up. According to him, only white people got to be in their pajamas and still fly first class.
Zakir revealed that he had faced racism himself while flying first class. The comedian stated that he had been keeping his luggage when the air hostess stopped him. Talking about how she tried to check his ticket, Zakir then narrated:
"This air hostess held my hand and turned it to see whether I was flying first class or not. But at the same time, there was also this old white lady who was trying to stop me from doing that (keeping his luggage). It was all happening at the same time."
Zakir then mimicked how the older woman repeatedly warned him, saying he couldn't keep his luggage there. The comedian pointedly responded that he was seated there. However, the air hostess rather rudely interrupted the conversation. Zakir continued:
"The air hostess goes, 'This is not your seat.' Then I just confronted her point-blank, 'You have a problem with an Indian travelling first class.' And the moment you say that, they're like oh, why would I say that, why would I have a problem with that? And I can see that in their eyes."
Zakir concluded the discussion on his traditional humourous note, talking about how he spent the rest of the flight. He stated that every time the air hostess would look at him, he would give her a disappointed head shake. He also mimicked the action, causing Max to burst out laughing.
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A clip of Zakir Khan sharing his experience was uploaded to Reddit, and his words resonated with other netizens. One user shared their own experience, with a part of their comment reading, "Very true. Happened with me. One airline, the crew member himself was African British and spoke rudely to me. I felt like confronting him saying of all people you shouldn't be a racist." Another user wrote, "You have no idea how much racism Indians have to endure abroad, and these incidents have increased tenfold in recent times. This is truly very saddening."
Watch the video here.
On a positive note, 2025 is set to be a remarkable year for Zakir Khan, as he will be the first Indian comedian to ever headline a show at Madison Square Garden in New York. He is also gearing up to release a new special on OTT. Talking about what he has in store for the year, Zakir said that they had started a new production house and had a couple of 'exciting projects in the pipeline.' His fans eagerly await to see what he has in store.
What do you think about Zakir Khan's story about facing racism while flying first class?
Also Read: Shazahn Padamsee Opens Up On 'Roka' With Ashish Kanakia, Says, 'I Have Slowly Learnt To Accept..'
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