Comedian Munawar Faruqui , best known for winning Salman Khan's reality show Bigg Boss 17, issued a public apology on Monday after facing backlash over a controversial joke he made during a performance in Taloja. The controversy erupted after a video clip surfaced showing Faruqui making a derogatory remark about Konkanis, where he was heard saying, “Konkani log chu**** banate hai,” which translates to “Konkanis fool others.” Faruqui later clarified that his comments were part of "crowd work," a common practice in stand-up comedy involving audience interaction.
In his apology, he expressed regret for any offense caused, stating, "I have noticed that some people are getting hurt over my clip, and as a comedian, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Maine jispe joke kiya tha wo logon ne bhi bahut enjoy kiya tha show. Show pe bhi sab log the, Marathi log the, Muslim log the, Hindu log the (The people I made the joke about also enjoyed the show a lot.
There were people from all backgrounds at the show—Marathis, Muslims, Hindus). But when we see such things on the internet, and we notice it, we understand the issue. I want to apologize and say sorry to all.
Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra." The incident gained significant attention when BJP MLA Nitesh Rane released a video threatening Faruqui, stating, “Won’t take long to send a green snake like you to Pakistan.” This added to the intense reaction the comedian faced on social media.
Supporters of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also criticized Faruqui’s remarks. This is not the first time Faruqui has been embroiled in controversy. In 2021, he was criticized for allegedly mocking Lord Ram, which led to his arrest and subsequent bail.
That incident also resulted in severe online trolling and the cancellation of several of his shows. Despite receiving applause from the audience during the Taloja performance, the viral clip has sparked a growing political and social backlash. Priya Thakur on her new show Vasundhara: Everything about my character is just beautiful.
