After beating Abhishek Kumar and Mannara Chopra in the top 3, Munawar Faruqui lifted the trophy for the 17th season of Bigg Boss.
After a rollercoaster ride of emotions and relationships, Bigg Boss finally announced their 17th winner yesterday. Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui lifted the trophy, with Abhishek Kumar as the first runner-up and Mannara Chopra as the second runner-up. The other finalists for Bigg Boss were Ankita Lokhande and Arun Mahashetty.
After spending more than 100 days inside the Bigg Boss house, Munawar Faruqui became the winner of the show. After winning, he took to Instagram and posted his first picture post, winning the trophy with Salman Khan, by thanking his Janta (people).
In the post, he further thanked everyone for the love and support he got during his Bigg Boss journey. He said that finally, the trophy, Dongri had arrived. He further thanked his bade bhai, ‘Salman Khan’, for all the guidance he got from him.
Salman Khan, the host, was shown with Munawar in the photo. Munawar, in a black-and-white suit, smiled widely next to Salman. With a casual attitude, Salman smiled at the camera. Munawar won an automobile valued at Rs. 20 lakhs together with a cash prize of Rs. 50 lakhs.
On the other side, Munawar Faruqui responded to the claims that his win was fixed. In an interview with the well-known entertainment news portal, Munawar stated that people who are accusing him of being the ‘fixed winner’ should watch the whole season of BB 17, and then they will realise how much ‘scrutiny’ he went through.
He also stated that before Bigg Boss 17, he wanted to change people’s perceptions about him, and now he knows he can’t change their opinion. It cannot really be a predetermined winner if one must endure such intense examination as a purported fixed winner.
If he had been a fixed winner, then he could get everything on the platter. He further told the people who are calling him a fixed winner that they should just sit and watch the entire season and people will realise that it wasn’t fixed.
It’s interesting to note that after winning Lock Upp season 1 in 2022, this is Munawar’s second reality programme victory. The 32 year stand-up comedian, was born in the Gujarat city of Junagadh. His stand-up comedy and raps went viral on YouTube, which led to his rise to fame. In addition, Faruqui and his ex-wife, whom he divorced in 2022, had a five-year-old child.
In 2021, he gained notoriety when he was sentenced to one month in jail following accusations that his statements about Hindu deities during a stand-up concert had offended religious feelings. After receiving threats from right-wing organisations, the comic cancelled 12 of his shows in less than two months, causing anger and leading him to declare he would give up his career as a comedian and comedy.
Faruqui returned in 2022 as a contestant on the Kangana Ranaut-hosted reality TV series “Lock Upp,” in which viewers lived in jail and completed tasks to earn money while serving as prisoners.
