Zakir Khan's Tathastu marks his departure from 'Sakht Launda' image, shows his emotional, philosophical side

“Beta kisi ka jaadu kharaab nahi karte” is a refrain Zakir Khan uses in his standup special Tathastu a couple of times. Like a verse in an Urdu nazm, each time the refrain is repeated, it becomes more meaningful. Tathastu marks Zakir Khan’s departure from his sakht launda image which stuck courtesy his special Haq Se Single (also on Prime Video). The phrase sakht launda became synonymous with Zakir Khan - in fact, each time Khan would remotely mention one of his female friends at his, a guy in the audience would yell ‘sakhti’ reminding the comic of his adage ‘pighalna nahi hai’. In Tasthastu, Khan clarifies “mere chakkar mein tum tanha mat reh jaana” (don’t end up single because of me). Some critics opine that standup comics - Zakir in particular, come across as sexist and ‘glamorize the bro code’. A piece in Feminism in India called out Zakir for “stereotypical expression of gender roles”. WIth Tathastu, Zakir gives a befitting reply to his many detractors who often accuse him for villainizing women. The comic breaks away from the ‘guy-who-rants-about-his-break-ups’ image and ventures into a more serious form of storytelling - one which is full of life lessons, gut punches and laughs. In the special, Khan talks about his relationship with his late grandfather, Ustad Moinuddin Khan, veteran Indian classical instrumentalist and vocalist from the Jaipur gharana. Divided into 3 parts - Paradise, Exile and The Return, the special’s primary focus is the complicated relationship Zakir shared with his grandad (who he calls Khan Sahab). Khan Sahab would often exaggerate events and spread gossip about his grandson, saying ‘generic stuff’ which was lauded and hyped by his ‘hype men’. These men also believed everything Ustaad ji said came true which made Zakir cringe as a child. Khan Sahab’s best quirk perhaps, is that no matter what time of the day he wakes up, he thinks it is 2 am in the night - a running gag through the special which elicits plenty of laughs. Hearing Zakir describe his granddad, you will most definitely be reminded either of your grandparents or an elderly figure who you have known your whole life. Like all grandparents and grandkids, Zakir and Khan Sahab locked horns at times and had ego clashes but their love for each other remained intact. For instance, after leaving his hometown for Delhi, Zakir was poverty-stricken. Eating barely one meal a day and surviving on a shoestring budget made Zakir and his friend look malnourished. But they were taken care of by Khan Sahab who somehow knew his grandson was starving but wouldn’t call up his parents and ask for help. This is followed by possibly the most poignant moment in the special where Khan Sahab repeats an adage that is commonly used in middle class households - ‘teesri peedi mein baat banti hai ya bigati hai’ (third generation kids can make or break a family). Upset with Zakir for not following in his footsteps, Khan Sahab expresses his disappointment. Eventually, Zakir goes to Mumbai, lands a gig with now defunct All India Bakchod and establishes himself as one of the rising stars of Indian standup comedy. However, Zakir doesn’t quite get the validation and approval of Khan Sahab he so desperately craves. All Desi kids are familiar with Zakir’s predicament where parents and grandparents rarely appreciate kids or pat their back for their accomplishments - perhaps to keep them grounded. When Zakir visits Khan Sahab, he asks him for Rs 35,000 in reverence which Zakir very respectfully gives. Zakir mentions categorically that let alone appreciating him for his success, Khan Sahab didn’t even offer him a cup of tea. It was only after Khan Sahab’s death that Zakir realized his granddad was indeed proud of him - that he showed Zakir’s viral Jashn-E-Rekhta poetry recitation to his friends, that he would secretly watch his standup videos on YouTube and was aware that his grandson has shot to fame. Zakir now believes his grandfather’s magic and his hype men who often said ‘Ustaad Ji ka kaha sach hota hai’. What seemed nonsensical or perhaps illogical to Zakir as a kid is one of his core beliefs now - “Beta kisi ka jaadu kharaab nahi karte”. Zakir’s message of prioritizing family is needed now more than ever given the rise of Hustle Culture. Professionals’ losses may not make or break a person but personal losses do, says Zakir while narrating the story of his grandfather’s funeral. Zakir wasn’t present with his grandad when he breathed his last because he was shooting for Laughter Challenge which he now feels is the “biggest deadbeat of his life”. Clearly, the comic regrets doing the show. He was also eliminated shortly after he returned to Mumbai to shoot for it. The name of the show ‘Laughter Challenge’ being muted did seem jarring at first but was perhaps a legal necessity. Rarely comes a standup special which is full of life lessons, tear jerking anecdotes and rib tickling humour - all packed into 93 odd minutes - a special where the live audience is laughing hysterically at one point and tearing up at another. Tathastu is Zakir at his anecdotal best. Does the special fall short of punches and one-liners? Yes. But Zakir more than makes up for it with feel-good childhood stories which aren’t particularly hilarious but wholesome still. At no point are the sets overly emotional or frivolous. The balance between light-hearted humour and gut wrenching anecdotes is near-perfect and the viewer does not feel overwhelmed by one emotion at any point. There are also sufficient breaks and pauses so the viewer gets enough time to blow off some steam in between sets which can be emotionally heavy. _Tathastu’_s biggest win is also that it shows how complex families in South Asian cultures can be - from ego clashes between male members, to women being accused of casting spells (jaadu) and parents not giving their kids the validation they need. It is a must watch for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one and struggling to come to terms with their loss. With Tathastu, Zakir comes into his own as a comic. Every comic must grow as their audience grows and Zakir has done precisely that. Instead of piggybacking on the massive popularity of his old catchphrases like ‘sakhti’, the comic is experimenting and evolving as a storyteller. He does this in a way that it doesn’t alienate his older audience but instead nudges them to consider more emotional and sentimental aspects of human life which go beyond breakups and friendzone. All in all, Zakir has reinvented himself but at the same time, stayed true to himself which is a difficult thing to accomplish. Tathastu is streaming now on Prime Video.

Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75.  Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.