India, Feb. 25 -- C omedian Zakir Khan recently clarified the reasons behind his upcoming hiatus, responding to speculation about his health. While he had earlier cited a predisposition to an unnamed genetic illness, he now says the break is largely to focus on creative projects he has been putting off for years, with health being only a small part of the decision. "Mere paas writing ka bahut kaam aa gaya tha, jo mai pichle 6 saal se kar nahin pa raha tha. Health thodi si kharab hai, bahut zyada kharab nahin hai. Tumne jo internet pe padha hai woh jhooth hai, bhai," he said at the Spoken Fest in Mumbai. Calling out online rumours, he added, "The people writing it are also terrible, and on top of that, they mention that a very close family source has confirmed this. My family stays with me, so we see each other's faces asking who said anything?" In late January, Zakir had announced that he would be stepping away from live performances for an extended period which may stretch to 2030, to prioritise his well-being. At the time, he had also spoken about addressing certain "genetic illnesses". He had said, "It will be a break of three, four, or five years to take care of my health", noting that after a decade of relentless work, "the body is bound to take a hit".HTC...