“I don’t need to let people know that my allegiance is with Australia despite being a Muslim. It is not like I will only make fun of my family, experiences and [do] funny accents.”
It’s the mention of family that takes Hussain beyond a style he describes as “protest comedy”. His voice softens when talking about Mumtaza, his single mother, who raised three children after arriving in Australia in the 1970s.
To Hussain, she is the epitome of the Great Aussie Battler, and he emulates her voice throughout Totally Normal, nailing the emphasis on the ‘A’ in Nazeem rather than the double ‘E’, that captures the sing-song intonation of Sri Lankans.
From PwC to Triple J
That heritage is a key pillar of Hussain’s schtick. He grew up in Melbourne’s south-east where there is no shortage of Sri Lankans, or cricket clubs named after cities like Colombo or Kandy.
There are more than 130,000 Sri Lankans in Australia, 65,000 of whom live in Greater Melbourne.
When describing how the island nation influenced his stand-up, Hussain echoes a common Sri Lankan phrase, “to play the fool”, which simply refers to someone who doesn’t take matters too seriously. He says his mother is “the life of the party” and his family grew up “roasting each other”.
“We’ve got a unique culture. Island comedy punches in all directions. It’s self-deprecating, and we can get our truths across in a way that’s disarming,” Hussain says.
Before morphing into a full-time comedian, Hussain worked at consultancy PwC. To feign being in the office, he’d leave his suit jacket on his chair back, while colleagues covered him as he ran to Triple J’s nearby Southbank studio to feature alongside the ABC’s Lindsay McDougall.
Between 2009 and 2011, Hussain did graveyard radio shifts from 1am to 6am before clocking into PwC, and performed live comedy after work.
“If anyone received tax advice from me, I’d encourage them to get a second opinion,” Hussain jokes.
The ‘undiscovered gem’
Exposure to local comics was pivotal for Hussain, who says he’s inspired by current Antipodean successes such as Aaron Chen, Guy Montgomery and Urzila Carlson, as well as established American performers George Carlin and Margaret Cho.
“I think we’re under-appreciated globally. The Australian comedy scene is this undiscovered gem,” Hussain says.
He’s less sanguine, however, when discussing the South-Asian diaspora’s representation in media and the broader arts. While some, like British Oscar nominee Dev Patel, have scored leading roles, others are relegated to portraying taxi drivers or straight-A students – gigs underscoring the obedient, frigid stereotypes that Hussain says South-Asians, men in particular, have been associated with for decades.
“In Australia, I struggle to think of many South Asians who have succeeded culturally. We’re always, sort of, last to the table,” he says, adding that Perth-born actress Pallavi Sharda got her break in Bollywood before becoming a local star.
Hussain believes there are many talented South-Asian Australian actors who audition regularly and attend the country’s best-known schools, yet cannot land regular gigs.
“We speak about diversity, but I do not feel like it’s authentic here,” he says.
Nonetheless, Hussain has come a long way from the part-time-comic/tax consultant. He’s a father to a six- and two-year-old and has branched out into children’s books with Hy-larious Hyena!
While Hussain is ironing out another sketch series, something he’s very reluctant to discuss, he continues to tour Totally Normal.