Zakir Khan’s "Papa Yaar"

On 24th June 2025, I had the chance to attend Zakir Khan’s stand-up show “Papa Yaar” at Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha in Vashi - and trust me, it was nothing short of magical.

I and my friend reached the venue right on time at 8 PM, soaking in the excited buzz of the crowd. The show kicked off around 8:20 PM with a solid opening act by Aaditya Kulshreshth from Bhopal, who set the tone for the evening with sharp wit and relatable humor.

Then came the man himself - Zakir Khan, at exactly 8:40 PM. The moment he walked on stage, the energy in the room shifted. For the next two hours, he took us on an emotional rollercoaster that ended at 10:30 PM, blending humor, nostalgia, and those tender moments we often brush aside when talking about our dads.

The central theme of “Papa Yaar” revolves around the complex, often silent, yet deeply loving relationship we share with our fathers. And Zakir nailed it with his signature storytelling.

One part of the show had the whole crowd in splits, as he recalled a sensitivity workshop at work:

Office main humare sensitivity ki workshop chal rahi thi.

Ma'am aayi aur boli - "Jitne bhi boys yaha pe hai - Kya aap mein se kisi ne bhi apne father ko I love you bola hai?"

Are yeh kis type ki baat hai, meri to hansi chhut gayi.

Ma'am - "What’s funny on that?"

Maine bola – "Baap he... bandi thodi hai jo, I love you bol de."

Then she asked another question:

Kehti hai - "Tumne kabhi apne father ko hug kiya hai?"

“Haan, 2 baar – ek Eid pe, ek Bakri Eid pe.”

Are haan, kaisi baat ker rahi hai? Apne baap ko I love you bola kya, hug kiya? Phir kya raat ko poochhna hai ki mere babu ne khana khaya kya?

And finally:

Phir boli - "Kya aapne apne father ko thank you bola hai?"

Sab ek doosre ka muh dekh rahe the - lekin bolna kyun hai bhaiii?

Kehti hai – "sab ladke ab apne father ko phone lagao."

And here comes the phone call part:

Hum 8 ladke the - 7 ke baap ne phone hi nahi uthaye.

Hamare wale ne kam se kam uthaya to sahi.

"Hello?"

"Haan bhaiya, 10 min baad lagana, teri mummy to hai nahi."

Hum to papa ke phone pe tabhi call karte the jab mummy ka phone nahi lagta tha.

"Nahi papa, aapse hi baat karni thi."

"Haan bolo, kitne paise chahiye?"

"Nahi papa, paise nahi chahiye the."

"Kya hua? Bola tha na woh car mat kharido, pagal ho tum. Accident ho gaya? Tumko lagi hai?"

"Nahi papa, humko nahi lagi hai."

"Toh saamne wala mar gaya?"

"Nahi papa, kuch nahi hua hai."

"Toh bataoge kya hua hai? Pareshan karne ke liye phone kiya hai?"

Are kaise batau… thank you bolne ke liye phone kiya hai.

"Papa woh... woh... woh..."

"Baaaooooolllll..."

'"Thank you bolna tha papa."

(5 sec silence...)

"Aage…?"

Are aage kahan se laau?

"Dimaag kharaab kar raha hai... faltu ki baat kar raha hai... bewakoof ladka… ladki hai kya koi?"

The entire auditorium burst into laughter and applause - because in that one exchange, Zakir captured the essence of what it’s like being a son trying to express love to a father who's never been told he’s loved.

But Zakir being Zakir, he touched upon the loss of childhood - how it doesn’t fade slowly but ends in one sudden moment:

"Bachpan ki sabse ghatiya baat yeh hai ki woh dheere dheere nahi marta.

Bachpan marta hai haadse mein - ekdum se khatam hota hai.

Ek awaaz aati hai na – ‘Kal se bada hona padega…’

Hum mein se kaun bada hona chahta tha?

Hum logon ko bada hona padha - achanak se, ekdam se.

Uske baad se aapki har masoomiyat ki harqat farzi hoti hai, jhoothi hoti hai.

Yaha tak ki maa ki gaud mein rakha hua sir bhi nakli hota hai - yaadash ke taur pe hota hai…

Shayad jab masoom the tab esa lagta hoga.

Isliye aik baad kaha tha ki -

"Bahut pehle hi masoomiyat bech di maine.

Ab samajh aaya, badi mehengi cheez saste mein nikal di thi.

The entire hall went from laughter to a still, quiet heaviness. That’s Zakir’s magic - he doesn’t need to shout to hit hard. He just tells you the truth in a language you feel in your gut.

He showed how different it is to talk to our moms compared to our dads.

"Baap bolo to muh band hota hai Maa bolo to muh khulta hai... aap apne man ki baat Maa se keh bhi paate hai"