Last week, a video clip began to circulate widely on social media in which comedian Zakir Khan announced that He would be taking a break from comedy to prioritize his health and well-being. While the news spread quickly across the internet and understandably disappointed fans who can’t seem to get enough of him, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Zakir had hinted at this decision well in advance, for the first time in September last year. Speaking in detail about the reasons behind their breakup in an interview with Gulf News, he opened up about long-standing health issues, some of which are hereditary.
“I need to take care of my health. There are certain genetic diseases in my family that tend to emerge after a certain age. On top of that, I have damaged my body myself, sleeping for only two hours and then meeting thousands of people. Because the moment you land in a city, you immediately start meeting people.” He further explained that as the first generation of his family to experience success on such a large scale, he now feels a responsibility not only to himself, but also to future generations of his family, as well as to “build some bridges” for them. That sense of responsibility, Zakir admitted, led him to prioritize work above all else for almost a decade, something that has now taken its toll on his body.
“When you keep your foot on the accelerator for ten years straight, the body is bound to take a hit. So initially I thought about managing health along with work. But last year, when we were in the US, I realized that it wouldn’t be possible to do both at the same time. That’s when I made this decision.” Addressing a viral clip in which he seemed to suggest he would stay away from stand-up until around 2030, Zakir clarified: “That was something I said specifically for Hyderabad. When I take a break and then restart work, it will take time for me to return to Hyderabad. But it won’t be a break for that long.” Emphasizing his deep love for comedy, Zakir added, “I will try to be as healthy as possible. I’ll work on it. I love stand-up and I want to do it even when I’m 80 years old. And to be able to do it, this is necessary.”
Last year, Zakir also took to Instagram to share that he had been feeling unwell for over a year but continued to work because he felt it was necessary at the time. He candidly acknowledged that his demanding lifestyle, of touring continuously for almost a decade, performing two or three shows a day, enduring sleepless nights, early morning flights and irregular meals, had significantly impacted his health.
In his post, he wrote, “I have been on tour for the last ten years. Although I feel very blessed to receive your love and affection, traveling so much is not good or healthy. Trying to satisfy everyone you know, doing two or three shows in a day, sleepless nights, early morning flights and no set meal times. I have been unwell for a year, but I had to work because it seemed important at the time.”
He further added, “I love being on stage, but I will have to take a break now. I didn’t want to and have been ignoring this for a year. But now I feel that before it’s too late, I must take a break. That’s why this time the India tour will be limited to a few cities. I won’t be able to add more shows, and after recording this special, I was advised to take a long break.”