Comedian Munawar Faruqui, known for his victory in the Salman Khan-hosted reality show Bigg Boss 17, has issued a public apology after facing backlash over a controversial joke made during a performance in Taloja. The controversy erupted after a video clip surfaced showing Faruqui making a derogatory remark about Konkanis, in which he said, “Konkani log chu**** banate hai,” translating to “Konkanis fool others.”
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कोकणावर खूप खूप प्रेम आणि माझी माफी❤️ pic.twitter.com/pUSPYuZ9Kf
— munawar faruqui (@munawar0018) August 12, 2024
Munawar Faruqui clarified that the remark was part of “crowd work,” a common practice in stand-up comedy that involves interacting with the audience. In his apology, he expressed regret for any offense caused, stating, “I have noticed that some people are hurt by my clip, and as a comedian, I never intend to hurt anyone. The people I joked about enjoyed the show a lot. The audience included Marathis, Muslims, Hindus—everyone was there. But I understand the issue when such things are seen on the internet. I want to apologize to everyone. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra.”
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.@munawar0018 pic.twitter.com/p8CxplcVdd
— Nitesh Rane (@NiteshNRane) August 12, 2024
The incident drew widespread attention, particularly after BJP MLA Nitesh Rane responded with a video threatening Munawar Faruqui, stating, “It won’t take long to send a green snake like you to Pakistan.” This comment further intensified the social media outrage against the comedian.
Supporters of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also criticized Faruqui’s remarks, adding to the growing backlash. This incident is not the first time Faruqui has faced controversy for his humor. In 2021, he was accused of mocking Lord Ram, which led to his arrest and subsequent bail. The earlier controversy also resulted in online trolling and the cancellation of several of his shows.
Despite the initial positive reception from the audience during the Taloja performance, the viral clip has sparked significant political and social backlash, leading Faruqui to publicly apologize.