Indian comedian Zakir Khan has delivered one of the most talked-about moments of the awards season after producer Goldie Behl took a cheeky dig at him on stage, only to receive an instant and razor-sharp response that brought the house down.

 

Zakir was hosting the award show alongside actor Alia Bhatt when Behl walked up to present an award with his wife, actor Sonali Bendre. 

 

Behl addressed the hosts from the stage, saying, "Alia I know it's your first time, fantastic! Zakir, you could do better."

 

Zakir fired back immediately. "Jinse vyavhar rakhna hai unki tareef kar di, humko train ke neeche phainko. Garib aadmi achi jagah aa gaya bardasht nahi ho raha (You praised the one you want to stay friends with and threw me under the train. Seems like the industry can't handle a poor guy making it big)," he replied.

 

The audience erupted in a roar, and the clip has since spread widely across social media.

 

Zakir did not stop there. During his hosting stint, he also took aim at what he called Bollywood's hollow praise for Dhurandhar: The Revenge, directed by Aditya Dhar. 

 

"Kitne hi congratulatory post aap daal dein, kitni hi Stories daal dein, kitne hi interview mein aap bol dein my favourite film, magar sach toh yeh hai ki Dhurandhar se sabki jalti toh hai (No matter how many congratulatory posts you share, no matter how many Stories you share, no matter how often you say in interviews that it's your favourite film - the truth is, everyone is jealous of Dhurandhar)," he said. 

 

He followed it up with another dig saying, "Bomb film mein phootein Lyari mein, par dhuan udaa hai Bandra se Juhu mein(The bombs might have exploded in Lyari, but the smoke is spreading from Bandra to Juhu)," drawing another roar from the crowd.

 

Born into modest beginnings, Zakir Khan started out performing at small open-mic nights in Delhi while working odd jobs to get by. 

 

He broke through in 2012 after winning Comedy Central's India's Best Stand Up competition, which opened doors to wider audiences and bigger stages. His relatable storytelling, rooted in everyday middle-class life, turned him into one of India's most beloved comedians, with his catchphrase "Sakht Launda" becoming a cultural phenomenon among Indian youth. 

 

He has since performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Madison Square Garden in New York, becoming the first Indian comedian to headline a full Hindi show at the iconic New York venue.