LOS ANGELES: Pakistani-American comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani thinks racist language has become "much more acceptable in mainstream circles" in recent years, reports 'Female First UK'.

The 44-year-old actor, who was born in Karachi, noted that racist attitudes remain in America, two decades on from his stand-up comedy debut in the country.

Reflecting on his early days as a stand-up comedian, Kumail explained, quoted by 'Female First UK': "By and large, it was still unacceptable to be racist in the public sphere back then. George Bush even quoted the Quran in a speech - could you imagine (Donald) Trump doing that?"

He added: "Now, I feel like racist language has become much more acceptable in mainstream circles. I told myself back then that most people still saw me as American. I'm not so sure any more."

As per 'Female First UK', Kumail hasn't performed any stand-up comedy in three years, and he's now unsure about what his fans want to see. The comedian-turned-actor is also aware of the expectations that now follow him.

He told 'The Guardian' newspaper: "I really want to do more comedy, but I don't know what people want me to talk about any more. Do they want jokes about my life? And will my jokes before this break still work? I can't exactly go to a tiny open mic to test it out, since people know me, there's an expectation now."

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android