Munawar Faruqui Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Full name	Munawar Iqbal Faruqui ^[1]YouTube- Munawar Faruqui
Profession(s)	Stand-up Comedian, Rapper
Known for	Being the winner of the first season of Kangana Ranaut’s show Lock Upp
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters– 175 cm in meters– 1.75 m in feet & inches– 5’ 9”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Dark Brown
Career
Awards	• Winner of Comic Kaun 4.0 by Pizza Burst (2018) • Winner of Open Mic at the Synergy Fest (2018)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	28 January 1992 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2022)	30 Years
Birthplace	Junagadh, Gujarat
Zodiac sign	Aquarius
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Dongri, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Religion	Islam ^[2]BBC
Controversies	• Arrested for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus: On 1 January 2021, Munawar Faruqui was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police on the complaint filed by Aklavya Laxman Singh Gaur, the son of BJP MLA Malini Gaur, for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. During one of his shows of the nation-wide tour ‘Dongri to Nowhere,’ police, along with a group of men from a Hindu organisation called Hind Rakshak Sangathan, stormed the venue in Indore claiming that Faruqui had made indecent remarks about Hindu deities and Home Minister Amit Shah in his comedy show. After being in jail for 35 days, Faruqui was granted bail by the Supreme Court on 5 February 2021. ^[3]The Print • Venue vandalism threats by Hindu right-wing outfits: After his arrest in January 2021, in the wake of the threats to venue vandalism by Hindu right-wing outfits, Faruqui’s stand-up comedy shows were opposed in various cities. In December 2021, K. T. Rama Rao, Telangana IT minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s (TRS) working president, invited Faruqui and comedian Kunal Kamra to perform in Hyderabad for which Rama Rao was slammed by Dharmapuri Arvind, a BJP MP from Telangana. Dharmapuri Arvind also threatened that comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show, which was to be held on 9 January 2022 in Hyderabad, will not be allowed. ^[4]Scroll.in While speaking to the media, Arvind Dharmapuri said, “Do you know who Munawar Faruqui is? He has cracked jokes on Goddess Sita, who is worshipped by the majority of Hindus. While a state like Karnataka has banned him, KTR has welcomed him into Telangana to perform comedy. Has the Hindu society become a comedy to this father-son? (KCR and KTR)” He also said, “We will see how they will invite him (Munawar) while other states are banning him. If you want to preach secularism, invite Ustad Bismillah Khan.”
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Separated ^[5]The Indian Express
Affairs/Girlfriends	Not Known
Family
Wife/Spouse	Name Not Known Note: On an episode of Lock Upp, a reality show hosted by Kangana Ranaut, he revealed that he was married and had a child. ^[6]The Indian Express
Parents	Names Not Known Note: His father was a driver.
Siblings	Sister(s)-He has three sisters and one of them is named Shabana.
Style Quotient
Bike Collection	KTM RC 200
Money Factor
Salary (approx.)	According to a story highlight on his Instagram account, he earns Rs. 1.5 lakh per comedy show. ^[7]Munawar Faruqui’s Instagram

Some Lesser Known Facts About Munawar Faruqui

Munawar Faruqui, an Indian standup comedian and rapper, gained popularity through his YouTube videos such as Dawood, Yamraaj & Aurat (2020), Ghost Story (2021), and Doctor & Engineer (2021).

In 2002, his residence fell victim to the destructive communal riots in Gujarat. At the age of 16, he tragically lost his mother to suicide. Frustrated with the chaotic existence in Junagadh, his father made the decision to relocate the entire family to Mumbai in 2007, seeking a new beginning.

In 2008, his father’s health deteriorated, rendering him bedridden. Consequently, at the tender age of 17, he found himself assuming the role of the family’s caretaker. In addition to this newfound responsibility, he undertook the task of arranging marriages for his three sisters. To ensure financial stability, he toiled during the day and dedicated his evenings to pursuing a computer course.

Faruqui worked various jobs, including selling utensils and working as a salesman in a shop, before pursuing a career as a standup comedian.

During his early twenties, Faruqui held a position as a graphic designer in a prestigious company, where he unearthed his knack for creating clever one-liners for posters.

While working one of his odd jobs, Faruqui decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy. Coincidentally, he happened to be present at a shooting set where they were recreating a stand-up comedy scene for an advertisement. Due to a shortage of extras, the makers asked Faruqui to sit in as an audience member. Eventually, they even requested him to step on stage and deliver two lines. It was during this moment that Faruqui felt a strong calling to pursue a career in comedy. According to his friend Balraj Singh Ghai, Faruqui’s confidence soared as he delivered those lines, as if it was his destined path. He then started attending our open mic events, where he quickly gained popularity and became an instant sensation.

Captivated by standup comedy, he began attending open mic nights. Despite his family’s support for their children to pursue their own careers, they initially brushed off Faruqui’s interest in standup as mere “time-pass.” However, it was only when people started flocking to him for selfies that his family finally recognized stand-up comedy as a legitimate and full-fledged profession.

He made his debut in July 2019 with a one-hour Gujarati show called “Dodh Dahyo” in Malad, Mumbai.

In January 2020, he launched his own YouTube channel and began sharing standup comedy videos. His talent quickly attracted a huge following, and on 24 January 2020, he achieved a significant milestone with the release of his first video titled ‘Politics in India’.

In February 2020, his inaugural ticketed show took place in Mumbai. Tragically, during the same month, his father passed away. In a 2021 interview, he reflected on the difficult year, expressing, “The past year has been an immense challenge. Notably, February marked both the heart-wrenching loss of my father and the significant milestone of performing in my initial shows in Mumbai. There were instances when tears overwhelmed me in the green room, just before stepping onto the stage.”

Munawar Faruqi’s Instagram videos featuring his fictional character Razzaqbhai gained a significant following during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

He gained fame in April 2020 when he released a stand-up comedy video called ‘Dawood, Yamraaj & Aurat’ on his channel. In the video, Faruqui discussed his residential area, Dongri, a neighborhood in South Mumbai known for nurturing criminals like Dawood Ibrahim. He highlighted that mentioning Dongri often results in half of the people being clueless, while the other half immediately associate it with Dawood Ibrahim. However, he questioned the fairness of this stereotype, pointing out that Dongri’s reputation is not solely attributed to Dawood, as it has also produced infamous individuals like Haji Mastan and Tiger Memon. The video has garnered over 10 million views and has been highly praised.

In August 2019, he debuted the set ‘Dongri to Nowhere’ and later in October 2020, he commenced its nationwide tour. However, the tour was abruptly halted due to his arrest in Indore, amidst a controversial situation.

He shared ‘The Chowkidar Song’ in February 2020, cleverly blending music and comedy to satirize the Modi government. Following that, in March 2020, he posted ‘The NRC Song’ on his channel, incorporating jokes about the Delhi Riots and employing sarcasm and satire to critique Indian politics.

Collaborating with Indian musician Spectra, he officially debuted his first music video “Jawab” in August 2020.

On February 6, 2021, a virtual comedy show was organized by a collective of South Asian American stand-up comedians. The event aimed to demonstrate solidarity among stand-up comedians and show support for Munawar Faruqui, who was incarcerated following his arrest in Indore on January 1, 2021.

In March 2021, Munawar collaborated with Indian musician Nazz to create a hip-hop track called “Aazmaish,” which drew inspiration from Munawar’s personal experiences. Munawar wrote the lyrics, while Audiocrackerr composed the music for the song. The main focus of the track was Munawar’s arrest in Indore.

His second YouTube channel, ‘Munawar Faruqui 2.0’, was established in April 2021. On this channel, he shares live stream videos of himself playing a variety of games including Super Mario, Grand Theft Auto V, and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

Munawar Faruqui indulges in the occasional pleasure of smoking hookah.

Munawar Faruqui, who faced numerous show cancellations in multiple states due to threats from Hindutva outfits, finally took the stage in Mumbai. The show, organized by the All India Professional’s Congress of Maharashtra in December 2021, provided an opportunity for him to perform. Hindutva groups had persistently targeted Faruqui since his arrest in Indore back in January 2021.

Munawar Faruqui triumphed on Kangana Ranaut’s program Lock Upp on May 8, 2022, securing the champion title. As the winner, he received a trophy, a cash prize of Rs. 20 lakh, and a brand new car. Payal Rohatgi and Anjali Arora were declared the first and second runner-up, respectively. Throughout the show, the comedian openly discussed various aspects of his past, including his divorce, his mother’s tragic suicide, and the distressing experience of being sexually assaulted during his childhood.