When Shakeel took the stage despite father's death

Comedian reflects on tough priorities as a performer

Comedians are believed to make people laugh while secretly grieving themselves. Shakeel Siddiqui confirmed the theory by sharing his own experience with emotional pain coinciding with work, during an interview on Mazaq Raat. "The heart does break, and not necessarily because of a girl. Often, other people's behaviour with you at work makes you want to quit," he admitted.

Offering a refresher on a story that he mentioned he has narrated before, Shakeel said, "I landed in America on November 23 since I had a show on November 26, and I received a call on the spot informing me that my father had passed away. Despite that, we made people laugh for an hour and a half."

The comedian recalled people reaching out and asking him why he didn't bring up the news earlier. "I said, 'It's not anyone's fault.' This is a commitment. Audiences travel to America from far away just to watch these shows; they've spent a lot of money and they're looking forward to it. Now, I can't just sit with my grief knowing that," he said.

But the feat wasn't as easy as it might seem. Admitting vulnerability, he added, "After the show, I cried a lot."

Shakeel agreed that calling the incident a moment of grief was understating it. "Yes, it can only be seen as a devastating period. This happens very frequently in the lives of artists. You know when artists say that they've made a lot of sacrifices? These are the sacrifices we're talking about, not slaughtering an animal or something like that."

He mentioned that he heard about fellow comedian Sakhawat Naz putting a smile on people's faces despite mourning a loved one's death in secret, adding that many artists have gone through similar ordeals. "This is all a part of our lives. We're not doing anyone a favour. We're just doing our work. It doesn't matter whether or not we earn respect for it, our goal is to fulfill our duties. We're answerable to everyone who buys a ticket to our shows."

On a lighter note, Shakeel's passion for his craft overrides even personal milestones. Speaking to a fan at the show, he shared that he has yet to perform as his favourite character.

"I haven't found my favourite character yet," he confirmed, adding that he can't act as such a character despite the fan's insistence. "We don't create our characters, the writers do. The day that I find this character, I will be sure to let you know."