Zakir Khan Beyond Comedy

Like most people, my attention span is shorter than a TikTok clip. Can’t sit through a whole movie without hitting pause a million times, and keeping up with shows? Well, forget about it. But, there are two exceptions that actually grab my wandering attention – listening to people chat and getting lost in a good read. So, now it’s obvious that podcasts and interviews are my jam.

Oh man, I remember being hooked on this dopamine hit that If I wake up at first light, fully aware that I’m dead tired and could use a couple more hours of shut-eye. But, guess what? Yes, the deadly temptation. Ten minutes in, and I’m popping in an earphone, hoping Evan Peters talking about method acting for Jeffrey Dahmer will magically lull me to sleep. Spoiler alert: it never works.

Anyhow, the only silver lining is my habit of jotting down thoughts after every interview I listen to. Somehow that makes the whole late-night escapade less regrettable.

Likewise, I discovered Zakir Khan in 2021 through his “Sakht launda” meme and after consuming some of his standups, I was on the hunt for how it’s so second nature for this guy to connect with his audience to such a deeper level that he literally happens to have zero haters. So, here are some of the takeaways that I have gathered from tens of his hour-long talks.

Here’s the deal – even if you’re not rolling on the floor laughing at his jokes or find him a bit too sentimental, you’re still gonna snag some real-world advice from this guy

So, let’s get into it.

You can only give grease to the already moving wheel to make it move faster. 

Zakir Khan

I’d like to explain my understanding of this quote with a simple example.

Imagine a programmer who has a grasp of multiple programming languages. Now he decides to learn another advanced programming language in the hope of tackling a wider range of projects and opportunities. Here, dude’s existing programming knowledge serves as the moving wheel, and learning the new language acts as the “grease”

Now, flip the scene. There’s a total noob wanting to dive into an advanced coding bootcamp. But guess what? Without the groundwork, that fancy course won’t do much. The wheel ain’t moving yet.

I’ve been there, man. Started freelancing and thought buying every guru’s stuff would be the magic ticket. FOMO used to make me think that I would miss out on something otherwise. But reality check – you gotta lay the groundwork yourself. No shortcuts.

And now, chess. Fell into the trap of learning every opening YouTube algorithm threw at me. Lost games left and right. Then, bam! Finally decided to focus on the middle and end games instead of chasing new openings every day. Chess game’s strong now. Moral of the story – grease wisely.

World has become so variant that now it’s hard to get away with a blanket statement.

Zakir Khan

I personally have always been more into blankets than blanket statements. (Not just because of winters lol)

My understanding of this quote is “Not every “Should” they throw at you would work for you, better take inspiration and do it your way!

From Arman Malik’s Music Video “You”

Sure, there are things that are good for all of us, like eating veggies and going for a daily jog, but there are always a gazillion different ways to do a particular thing.

It’s like every podcaster, writer, and content creator makes you feel like the way to do something is to do it their way.

According to Zakir, you need to experiment to feel what you want to feel, to play, and to learn what vibes with your life and what doesn’t.

If you want your fictional story to hit home, one of these three things has to be true – Location, Scene, or Dialogue.

Zakir Khan

One thing nobody can deny about him is that he’s a great storyteller, and the ultimate advice he shares with anyone wanting to make their stories sound real is this.

Personally, being a professional writer, I often get to write Fictional Brand Stories for clients like how their respective brands came into being, and for that, most of my clients just ask me to write a convincing story that’ll hit home with their customers. So, I always implement Zakir’s idea to my stories and I’d kid you not, they do sound realistic. Like cmon’ I never got any revision on those submissions.

The more localized something is, the sharper it becomes. If something is needle-like, it’ll poke small area but go deep.

Zakir Khan

My understanding of this quote is the importance of becoming a needle in your own field – poking deep into what you know best and not wanting to be a know-it-all in everything.

Personally, I’m the kind who juggles a bunch of hobbies, but when it comes to the professional game, if writing is my ace, you bet I’m keeping myself in the loop on all the necessary stuff. At least, I try to…

Happiness is very personal but anyone can connect with you on pain. 

Zakir Khan


This is my favorite one because it has made me think through it quite a few times.

So, I’ll explain it like this; Ever notice how you don’t really vibe with that class topper or the one who snagged some prize? Nah, me neither. But tell me this, haven’t you felt a real connection with that classmate whose marks got deducted from the exact same question as yours?

And let’s talk about those random sad songs. They hit you, right? Even if the song’s story isn’t yours, you feel it. Like, if it’s about a breakup, suddenly you’re reliving that weird falling out with an old friend. Or if it’s about losing a lover, you’re sympathizing because you’ve had your own losses.

So, my man said it right, happiness is your own thing, but pain? That’s the common ground we all get.


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