Comedian Zakir Khan has opened up about his upcoming hiatus, addressing widespread speculation about his health and sharing the real reasons behind his break. While he had earlier mentioned taking time off for health-related reasons, Zakir now says the hiatus is also about focusing on creative work that he has been postponing for years.
Zakir Khan talks about his hiatus
At an event in Hyderabad in late January, Zakir had spoken emotionally about the upcoming break. Speaking to a packed auditorium, Zakir revealed that his break could extend for several years, potentially until 2028, 2029, or even 2030, once he completes his current commitments. He emphasised that the decision is driven by the need to prioritise his health and attend to personal matters.
However, in a more recent interaction at the Spoken Fest, Zakir offered further clarification. He explained that the break was also about catching up on writing work that he hadn’t been able to do for the past six years. “The story about my break is that I had a lot of writing work that I hadn’t been able to do for the past six years. My health is a little bad, not very bad. What you’ve read on the internet is false. All these unnecessary things are just rubbish. The people writing it are also terrible, and on top of that, they mention that a very close family source has confirmed this. My family stays with me, so we see each other’s faces asking who said anything?” he said, stressing that while minor health issues exist, nothing is critical.
Zakir had earlier opened up about the physical strain of constant touring. In posts from September last year, he revealed how a decade of back-to-back shows, early morning flights, sleepless nights, and irregular meals had seriously affected his health. Despite being unwell for almost a year, he kept performing, driven by his passion for the stage and the demands of his career.
Zakir Khan’s latest work
As of early 2026, Zakir Khan’s most recent major work has been his ongoing Papa Yaar live comedy tour, which has taken him across India and internationally. He has been performing shows as part of this tour through late 2025 and into 2026, with stadium‑scale dates announced in Mumbai’s NSCI Dome, before he plans to take an extended break from live shows after mid‑2026.
