Comedian Munawar Faruqui, winner of Salman Khan-hosted show Bigg Boss 17, has publicly apologised for his insensitive joke on Konkani people. During an event in Taloja, Mumbai, he said, “Konkani people make a fool” (Konkani people fool others). This comment did not go down well with many, and they called him out on social media platforms. In his apology video, he mentioned that he understands the issue after the criticism he received for it.

On August 12, he shared a video in which he explained that his controversial joke was part of his ‘Crowd Work’ show where he interacts with the audience. He said that some people were hurt by his comments and he apologised for the same.

He said, “I saw people getting offended by my clips and as a comedian, I don’t want to offend anyone. The people I made fun of also enjoyed the show a lot. There were also people on the show, Marathi people, Muslim people, Hindu people. (The people I joked about thoroughly enjoyed the show. There were people from all backgrounds on the show – Marathi, Muslim and Hindi).”

He further added, “When we see such things (reactions) on the internet, we take note of it. We understand the issue. I want to apologise and say sorry to everyone. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra.”

Watch the video here:

Munavvar’s controversial clip made headlines when Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane shared a video threatening him. He said, “It won’t take much time to send a green snake like you to Pakistan.”

Watch the video here:

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supporters also criticised Munawar Farooqui’s remarks.

Controversy is nothing new for Munawar Faruqui. In 2021, he was arrested for allegedly making fun of religious deities. He was later released on bail. His comments sparked a major controversy, resulting in his shows being cancelled.