Cassim Caif is a young Muslim man living in Fordsburg, Johannesburg. Heʼs balancing the demands of a new marriage, a young child, and living in a house with his ageing parents with being one of South Africaʼs few Muslim stand-up comedians. His father, Ebrahim, has reluctantly accepted his sonʼs chosen career—for now—but is still simmering over the issue.
Cassim Caif is a young Muslim man living in Fordsburg, Johannesburg. Heʼs balancing the demands of a new marriage, a young child, and living in a house with his ageing parents with being one of South Africaʼs few Muslim stand-up comedians. His father, Ebrahim, has reluctantly accepted his sonʼs chosen career—for now—but is still simmering over the issue.
This is my first ever one man show. I did it YEARS ago. It's the full show. I called it 'Strictly Halaal', which was quite an unusual title for a comedy show back in the day. Up til that point, our ensemble comedy audiences were homogeneously white. When I started doing my one man shows, suddenly the scarves, kurtas and beards started coming out to the comedy shows. It seems like a lifetime ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. But looking at the suit I was swimming in, a part of me would rather forget.