New Delhi: Stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui hinted Sunday that he may be quitting comedy after as many as 12 of his shows got cancelled in two months over alleged threats of vandalism.
Faruqui has been in the eye of the storm over a New Year event in Indore earlier this year, where he was arrested for allegedly passing “indecent remarks” on Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Faruqui has claimed that he never got a chance to perform at the event at all.
The comic was supposed to perform at the Good Shepherd Auditorium in Bengaluru Sunday. However, the Bengaluru Police asked the organisers to call off the show titled ‘Dongri to Nowhere’ citing “law and order” issues. Planned shows in Mumbai and Gujarat over the last two months were also cancelled over threats of vandalism from members of the fringe outfit Bajrang Dal.
In an Instagram post Sunday — also shared on Twitter — Faruqui put out a statement, “I think this is The End. My name is Munawar Faruqui and that’s been my time, you guys were wonderful audience. Good bye! Im done (sic).” He captioned the screenshot of the statement with the caption “Nafrat jeet (sic) hai, Artist haar gaya. Im done! Goodbye! INJUSTICE”.
Nafrat jeet hai, Artist haar gaya.
Im done! Goodbye! INJUSTICE pic.twitter.com/la4xmaeQ0C
— munawar faruqui (@munawar0018) November 28, 2021
He stated it was unfair he had to spend time in jail for a joke he did not crack, and cancel shows which did not have any problematic content.
“This show has gained so much love from people in India irrespective of their religion,” he said.
The show in Bengaluru had sold over 600 tickets, Faruqui said in his post, adding that proceeds from the event were meant to have been donated to the charity of late actor Puneeth Rajkumar.
Several actors and fellow comics reacted to Faruqui’s post on Instagram.
Actor Rohini Ramnathan wrote, “I am so sorry buddy, hang in there. It’s unfair… but there will be justice, and it will be rich.”
Music composer and producer Mayur Jumani wrote, “Nope. You’re not quiting (sic). We won’t let you.”
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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