Zakir Khan: Tathastu

Zakir and his specials, the guy is a wonderful story teller and this time around he narrates the story of his Abba ji (Grandfather). The 1:30 hour special is so beautifully performed by Zakir recollecting all his memories with his Abba. Zakir takes you through his life from when he was a kid to where he is today. Special thanks to Tanmay and AIB who gave him the chance. AIB has created so many ripples and we as the audience are reaping the benefits. Also I remembered on air with AIB, what an amazing concept that was, so ahead of its time (like all the things that AIB has done). Absolutely loved the special. 10/10 would recommend.

The specials works best for you when you know the guy to some extent, his sense of humor, his narration style and some major achievements in his life such as his Delhi Girl stand-up video. This standup special is unlike something you've ever seen, Instead of 25 different bits, Zakir tells different stories about his life, both hilarious and heartbreaking. To be able to take an audience from side-splitting laughter to tears with just a turn of phrase is astounding and Zakir does so with aplomb. He very casually shares words of wisdom that it is so beautiful to watch. I had a smile on my face throughout the show because that is how well Zakir connects with his audience.

The special makes you feel bad for not getting to watch it live.

It is beautiful. Even if you're not that big a fan of standup comedy, you should just watch the show for the experience.

The thing about Zakir Khan is he is a wordsmith first and a comic second. The choice of words, the delivery, the life lessons are so masterful that many parts of his set is quotable. He is India's George Carlin.

There are very few stand-up comics who you genuinely love. The way Indian audience love Arijit Singh and how an Indian city would come to standstill when Arijit performs, traffics rerouted, areas cordoned off, entire football ground converted to parkings, Zakir Khan is in that league of comics, Indian audience genuinely loves him.

Talking about the set, this set is extremely experiential. You need to sit down and watch the set, laugh, chuckle, smirk, hide a few laughs and dry your eyes from time to time. This set can be but need not be summarized in a few lines. Just like most of Carlin's sets.

All I want to say about the set is, you can wear this set as a winter coat when things feel cold around you, and it will keep you warm. And if you need a non-Carlin reference to gauge how good it is, think of Panchayat Season 1 or Kota Factory Season 1.

Zakir, if you are reading this, you kept the magic intact through out. Spellbound!

It has funny stories from his childhood, family relationships and the journey of Zakir's Life throughout.

This show specially focuses of his relationship with his Grandfather and how the presence of a person is important in life.

The way he got transformed to the character of his grandfather with time, it's about that and how our thinking changes with time.

One thing really important at a certain point of time is not even relevant after sometime and that's how it is actually.

"Professional Success is temporary, But Personal Loss is Permanent"

That sums it up all. A must watch for all. Thanks for reading this.

Zakir Khan is way above Standup Comedy. He is an unmatched & brilliant Storyteller. "Tathastu" is HIS story and I as an audience could visualize & feel his every word.

I've watched numerous performers of storytelling, poetry, comedy, music etc. Online, but what Zakir made of himself and the grab he has over storytelling is out of this world and "Tathastu" is an example of this Out of The World storytelling.

The story revolves around him growing up in a joint family where 3 generations live alongside and how the 3rd (latest) generation feels of the prior generations. The plot is full of observations, comedy, painful emotions and very effective life lessons.

One such lesson is "Professional Goals are less than Personal Loss". For the context of this, Watch the Show & I guarantee you won't regret.