Munawar Faruqui: I am doing music because I enjoy it, there’s nothing to do with my jokes not landing correctly

Munawar Faruqui earned his fanbase and became a name to reckon with in the comedy circuit. However, the artiste, who lately has been focusing a lot of music, doesn’t want to limit his career and aspires to broaden his horizons and shed the labels attached to him. However, he’s quick to clarify, “It doesn’t mean I’ve shifted my focus [to music]. I’m simultaneously doing comedy also. I released one song from my upcoming album Madaari and then I put out a video named Kela, which did really well. Toh main gaano ke beech me standup bhi daal deta hun.”

While a section of the audience believes Faruqui is venturing out into newer space because of the controversies he got embroiled in when his jokes didn’t go well with a certain groups of people, the comedian-rapper maintains that’s not the case. “Main music iss liye kar raha hoon kyunki mujhe maza aa raha hai. It has nothing to do with jokes not landing correctly,” says the artiste, who doesn’t believe in pleasing everyone, “so I instead try to keep myself happy”.

About his jokes and standup acts that have faced flak in the past and became topics of discussions, Faruqui adds, “Mujhe farak hi nahi padta ki mere jokes kaise land hue… As a writer, I jam it so many times and filter it thoroughly that I feel completely satisfied before presenting it in front of the audience. People may later say, ‘Oh, isne usse mota kaise bola, ya kaala kaise bola’, but if they first laugh at my jokes, and then go on to say these things, I consider my job done. That means my joke was funny.” Faruqui further states that despite everything that has happened, he does not pay heed to criticism and never lets it affect his writing.

Asked if he wishes to pursue music as a full-time career option, he says that was never his focus. “Career mera ban chuka hai already! What I want to do is entertain more and more people. Stadium bharna hai, but how to do that is what I have to figure out,” he quips.

That being said, he admits that at present, he is putting all his attention towards music because he wants the audience to accept him as a musician and shower him with as much love as they give to his comedy.

“For an artiste, it’s very difficult to make a transition from one art form to another. People do not want to see you doing something else. Aap comedian ho toh logon ko lagta hai ki music shaunk se kar raha hoga. Even after my album gets released, I know 50% of the people will not even realise that I’ve actually sung them. That’s why, I have to put in extra efforts in my music. Jab me comedy video daalunga, I know it will get views in 10 minutes because that’s what they know me as,” ends Faruqui.