Munawar Faruqui reveals he locked himself for days and cried during Namaz after Bigg Boss 17 win, says dark phase led him to marry Mehjabeen

Munawar Faruqui says intense scrutiny and attention on his personal life after winning Bigg Boss 17 affected his well-being and his family.

Comedian and rapper Munawar Faruqui emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss 17. However, despite the victory and the fame that followed, his personal life went through a difficult phase. In a podcast with Sania Mirza, the comedian recalled the dark period after winning the show and revealed why he decided to marry Mehjabeen Coatwala within months of his victory.

Munawar Faruqui reveals why he got married just months after Bigg Boss 17 win.

Munawar Faruqui recalls dark phase after Bigg Boss 17 win

During Bigg Boss 17, Munawar's personal life became one of the major talking points of the show. The makers brought actor Ayesha Khan into the house, where she alleged that Munawar had cheated on her and got involved with another woman while dating her. Upon entering the show, she confronted him over allegedly promising to marry her before ghosting her. She also said she had joined the show to seek closure. Now, Munawar has opened up about dealing with the scrutiny surrounding his personal life.

Talking about his life after Bigg Boss, Munawar revealed that his personal life remained under intense scrutiny for three months, from February to April. He also recalled that before entering the show, he learnt that his former wife was getting married and would not be taking their son with her, which meant he could bring the child home. Although he was happy to have his son back and knew he could look after him, he felt the child needed his mother at that point. Munawar said he brought his son home and asked his sister to take care of him for six months while he participated in Bigg Boss.

He further admitted that, after winning the show, the attention he received from women began affecting his personal life and was not good for his child either. He realised that he was doing things he was not comfortable with.

He added, "I realised that just because I had won Bigg Boss, a lot of work was coming in; financially, I was sorted. But the attention I was getting was not good for me. I realised this within 2-2.5 months; I realised that it wasn’t good for me or my child. I had a huge responsibility; I had sisters and family. I would say my namaz, and cry while doing so, asking to be settled. I locked myself in a living room for 3-4 days; the world was waiting for me outside, everything was so good. But I realised that the moment I stepped outside, I had started hating myself. I didn’t like that life, that was a sign I wanted to get married."

Munawar also recalled how he met his now-wife, Mehjabeen, revealing that she was the cousin of a common friend. He said they had first met around a year and a half earlier, when she accompanied him to watch a film, and they clicked a photograph together. After Ramzan, they wished each other on Eid, and she sent him a gift. The comedian recalled speaking to her for three to four days before learning that she was separated and had a daughter.

After speaking for a week, Munawar asked her to meet him. Recalling the proposal, he added, "When I met her, I proposed to her immediately, and she was shocked. She took some time and said she wanted to know a lot of things and needed to speak to her parents. She enquired about me for a week, and I kept convincing her; then, within a month, we got married. When I got married the second time, my wife had a daughter. The day she came home, I welcomed a daughter. I am very connected to her; she is a very sweet girl."

About Munawar Faruqui's personal life

Munawar was previously married to Jasmine, with whom he shares a son, Mikael. The couple eventually separated and divorced. During his stint on Bigg Boss 17, his relationships became a major talking point after his former girlfriend Nazila Sitaishi and Ayesha Khan made allegations of infidelity against him. In May 2024, he married Mehjabeen, and the couple welcomed a baby girl, Barirah, in May 2026, marking a new chapter in their lives.