Minority Reports: Nazeem Hussain masters the art of turning aggression into something funny

A journalist walks into a bar and says to a comedian, "Are you Waleed Aly?"

The comedian laughs.

This is not the first time Australia-born, Sri Lankan Nazeem Hussain has been mistaken for Aly, the only other Muslim to have made a successful dive into mainstream Australian television. Back in 2014, announcing Aly as a new addition to news and current affairs talk show The Project, SBS proudly publicised the new addition to the team in the press, with the headline "Waleed Aly Joins The Project" – next to a photo of Hussain.

"It happens in Australia all the time," says Hussain, laughing, "The audience is basically guided by stereotypes because brown people are hardly represented (in the media). In fact, someone came up to me recently and said, "Wow Waleed, I just can't believe you got mistaken for Nazeem, you look totally different!"

Nazeem Hussain was in London last month for a week-long stand-up stint at the Soho Theatre. A bold decision, as the venue is as famous for its cutting edge comedy as it is for its heckling audience.

Though Hussain is a big noise in his native Australia, due to his SBS television show Legally Brown and other high profile work, including an appearance on UK's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, he's still largely anonymous.

I was introduced to his irreverent style by my son, who showed me a clip of Hussain's work on the internet, on the skit The Race Card featuring a group of friends from different racial and sexually oriented backgrounds, playing what I have come to think of as Minority Card Poker. It had me laughing out loud.

So back to the bar. On my second glass of Sauvignon, I form my first impressions: Nazeem Hussain is a teetotaller, physically slight, with a warm handshake, toothy smile and bright, mischievous eyes. He's like a sort of Disney chipmunk. I've interviewed countless 'celebrities' before, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Shah Rukh Khan – both very nice but guarded. Nazeem though, has an air of openness about him and a humble confidence.

I tell him this piece is for DNA and ask him, bearing in mind that he is a huge star in Australia who is now emerging in the UK, why he hasn't yet broken SE Asia? He thinks before responding that his comedy involves exposing stereotypes and turning racism "upside down" – something that might work best with the diaspora.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, a son between two sisters raised by a single mother, Hussain says he never really thought of himself as 'different' in his early years. It wasn't until he was "maybe 6 or 7 or so" that he experienced racism at a conscious level.

"I remember being very young and going to school, making a good friend and then walking home past his car and then seeing a sticker on the back of his parents car which said "We grew here, you flew here', and then another one which said 'F**k off we're full" with a map of Australia on it and a red cross through it. I saw his mum getting in the car, she said "Come on Corey, lets go" and she didn't even acknowledge me. You grow up knowing you are different and that it's permanent – there's nothing you can really do about the difference. So, make light, turn aggression into something funny."

Hussain started experimenting with stand-up as a teenager at the local community centre. "When the community was gathered and seated, but the projector would break down or the key speaker was running late, I'd just take the mic. Years later, once I started at university, I did a few open-mic sessions, including Raw Comedy for amateur stand-up. To my surprise, I did well. This led to my show Fear of A Brown Planet. I had a law degree and was working as tax consultant in tandem — very Asian! My mum was and remains a huge support. She'd defend me when the aunties would shake their heads and commiserate, saying 'Ok so Nazeem is quitting law to be a joker, yes?'"