OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023: Munawar Faruqui wins ‘Comedian in Spotlight’ title

Stand-up comedian and rapper Munawar Faruqui, who is often in the news for either his amusing acts or cancelled shows, has bagged the ‘Comedian in Spotlight’ title at the prestigious OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023 tonight. The glittery award ceremony - which took place at JW Marriott (Juhu), Mumbai - which was attended by the who’s who of the Indian film fraternity. Last year, Munawar won the first season of Kangana Ranaut’s reality competition television series Lock Upp. 

The ‘OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023’ intend to honour and celebrate the groundbreakers and trendsetters of the entertainment industry. With Indian cinema on the cusp of remarkable transitions, it’s pertinent to honour and boost the confidence of those young minds that are bringing about the change. It’s the first edition of the awards ceremony. 

Munawar rose to fame during the lockdown in 2020, when he had put up a standup comedy video, titled Dawood, Yamraaj & Aurat, on his YouTube channel. Later that year, he released his debut song, Jawab, in collaboration with musician Spectra. In February 2021,released a standup comedy video, titled Ghost Story. Speaking of the latest, the comedian is also likely to appear in Khatron Ke Khiladi Season 13. 

Time and again, Munawar has also been engulfed in controversies. In January 2021, his performance at a café in Indore was interrupted by Eklavya Singh Gaur, the son of BJP MLA Malini Gaur. The stand-up comedian was accused of making jokes about Hindu deities and the Home Minister Amit Shah. The following day he was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police in the middle of his comic act, stating that he was arrested under ‘hate speech laws’. However, his arrest was criticised for not respecting the comedian’s freedom of speech.