Onika Maheshwari/ New Delhi  

On the International Day of Happiness here is a list of prominent Muslim stand up comedians of Indian who are contributing to the Indians’ happy moments:

Zakir Khan:

The Indore-born Zakir Khan stands out as one of the most loved standup comedians of India. Multitalented Khan, also known as sakht launda (strong guy) – the pet name he gaven himself as against his image of a decent comedian who doesn’t hit below the belt or body shames others, during his comedy shows across the world.

He hails from a family of musicians and is also trained in classic music and poetry. 

It goes without saying that Zakir Khan has made a deep connect with the youth with his simple and spontaneous style of storytelling. His jokes are about serious aspects of life - relationships, family values ​​and the inequalities in society. His famous dialogue " Koi Ladki Nahi Mil Rahi ? Koi Baat Nahi , Hum To Khud Mein Raja Babu Hain" (You are not in relationship with a girl; doesn’t matter; You are your own Prince) has resonated with the youth who believe relationship with opposite sex is a status symbol of one’s youthfulness.

Zakir Khan with his Mother

Zakir Khan however is too seriously comic for the ratings that often go with Kaiupl Sharma show where body shaming, gender insensitive jokes and use of double meaning words and sentences makes people laught. For this reason OTT Platform NetFlix abandoned his show midway and replaced it with The Kapil Sharma Comedy Show.

Munawar Faruqui 

Munawar Faruqui has faced controversy and even police case for his bold political and social comedy. He uses comedy to highlight sensitive issues like religious intolerance, freedom of expression and social injustice. Many of Munawar's shows landed him in controversy and yet his popularity as a stand up comedian remained intact among the youth of all sections.

Munawar Faruqui was arrested in 2021 on charges of hurting religious sentiments. This incident sparked a national debate on comedy and freedom of expression. Despite this, Munawar did not give up and continued to convey his message to the people through his comedy.

Ali Asgar, the Daddi of the Comedy Nights with kapil Sharma, has made a special place in the genre of comedy with his spontaneity and comic style. He is versatile as on the Kapil Sharma show, he played numerous characters on the show and all of them remain etched in the minds of the people watching the most watched comic show on the Indian television and the OTT platforms. His lapstick humor and dialogue delivery have been highly appreciated by the audience.

Ali Asgar as Dadi in The Comedy Nights with Kapil Sharma show

Azeem Banatwala 

Azeem Banatwala  is known for his intelligent and political satire. His jokes are a sharp comment on the inconsistencies of politics, religion and society. He has done many popular shows with the comedy group East India Comedy (EIC) .

Abbas Momin and Danish Sait have made people laugh a lot through their social media content. Abbas's podcast "Cyrus Says" and Danish's prank calls and satire videos have created a stir on social media. Their content raises burning issues of society in a satirical manner.

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Hussain Dalal and Gursimran Khamba have also discussed social issues through their comedy. While Hussain's jokes focus on modern relationships and social media culture, Gursimran Khamba has taken a dig at political and social issues through All India Bakchod (AIB) .