Zakir Khan Shares Experience of Racism on a Flight: ‘The Problem When Indians Fly First Class…’
Zakir Khan, a world-renowned comedian, once faced bigotry from white people when travelling first class because they couldn’t believe an Indian could be sat there. Zakir Khan is a world-renowned comedian known for his sharp sense of humour and ability to keep audiences laughing.This time, the standup comic sat down not to tell jokes, but to talk about a more serious issue: the racism Indians encounter from white people. He shared his own experience with the same.
Zakir Khan reveals facing racism from white people who didn’t believe he could fly first class
During an open discussion with Max Amini, Zakir Khan discussed the bigotry Indians face from white people. The comedian pointed out that Indians who travelled first class were always expected to be dressed up. He claimed that only white people could fly first class while wearing pyjamas. Zakir said that he had encountered racism while flying first class. The comedian alleged that he had been holding his luggage when the flight hostess stopped him. Zakir then described her attempt to check his ticket:
“This air hostess held my hand and turned it to see whether I was flying first class or not. But at the same time, there was also this old white lady who was trying to stop me from doing that (keeping his luggage). It was all happening at the same time.”
Zakir then mimicked how the older woman continually informed him that he couldn’t leave his luggage there. The comedian pointed out that he was sitting there. However, the flight hostess abruptly ended the conversation. Zakir stated: “The air hostess goes, ‘This is not your seat.’ Then I just confronted her point-blank, ‘You have a problem with an Indian travelling first class.’ And the moment you say that, they’re like oh, why would I say that, why would I have a problem with that? And I can see that in their eyes.”
He finished on a humorous note, detailing how he spent the remainder of the flight. He claimed that whenever the flight hostess looked at him, he gave her a dissatisfied head shake. He also replicated the motion, making Max laugh.
Netizens react to Zakir Khan’s experience of enduring racism
Zakir Khan posted his story on Reddit. One person recounted their experience, with a portion of their comment reading, “Very true. Happened to me. One airline, the crew member himself, was African British and spoke rudely to me. I felt like confronting him saying of all people you shouldn’t be a racist.” One more user wrote, “You have no idea how much racism Indians have to endure abroad, and these incidents have increased tenfold in recent times. This is truly very saddening.” Watch the video here.
Zakir Khan will become the first Indian comedian to headline a gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He is also preparing to launch a new OTT special.
