Weeks of emotional turmoil, heated clashes, and nail-biting moments later, Munawar Faruqui lifted the Bigg Boss 17 trophy last night as Salman Khan declared him the winner. The stand-up comedian also bagged the prize money of Rs. 50 lakhs and a brand new car. Abhishek Kumar won the first runner-up title.

The other finalists Munawar beat included actor Mannara Chopra, actor Ankita Lokhande, and YouTuber Arun Mashettey. Looking back at his journey on the reality TV show, Munawar felt that he deserved to win but it has also cost him a lot. Posting his victory, he wrote “Aapke pyaar aur support ke liye Aakhir kar Trophy Dongri aa hi gayi 🏆❤️“

The Bigg Boss 17 Grand Finale episode featured special acts by the finalists, and ex-contestants – Krushna Abhishek, Bharti Singh and Sudesh Lehri. Madhuri Dixit and Suniel Shetty graced the Finale to promote their new dance reality show “Dance Deewane”. Karamm Rajpal and Trupti Mishra also came to promote their upcoming serial “Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak.“

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The Participants

The Bigg Boss 17 journey began on October 16, 2023, with Aishwarya Sharma, Neil Bhatt, Navid Sole, Anurag Dobhal, Sana Raees Khan, Jigna Vor, Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Soniya Bansal, Firoza Khan, Sunny Arya, Rinku Dhawan, Arun Srikanth Mashettey, Abhishek Kumar and Isha Malviya as contestants. Manasvi Mamgai, Samarth Jurel, Aoora and Ayesha Khan entered as wild-card contestants. Socialite Orry was a guest entrant of the season.

Munawar Faruqui Bigg Boss 17 winner Salman Khan reality TV show Abhishek Kumar all contestants

Munawar On His Victory & “Fixed Winner” Allegations

While Faruqui was one of the front-runners this season, many believed that he was a ‘fixed winner‘ decided by the makers owing to his popularity. “I always thought I had a 50-50 chance as Abhishek equally deserved this win. This tag only sounds very fixed,” he stated with a laugh.

“Yaar fixed winner ko itna sab go through karna pade toh it can’t be a fixed winner. If I would have been a fixed winner I would have got everything on a platter. Pura season gawah hai that I’ve got nothing on a platter, I’ve worked hard and a lot,” he added. Munawar Faruqui’s answer to people, who are calling him a pre-decided winner is, “Just sit and watch the entire season and you will realise that it wasn’t fixed.”

“Having said that, people can have that feeling because, when you have a strong fanbase, and you do such reality shows a lot of things are at stake and you lose a few things. To win things, then you give it your best,” the comedian clarified. He acknowledges the fact that he can’t change people’s opinions about him.

Munawar Faruqui Bigg Boss 17 winner Salman Khan reality TV show Abhishek Kumar

On the other hand, Munawar felt that it was the audience’s abundant love that made him the winner of the show. “I know I made some mistakes and I had to bear the brunt of the same. I was also judged for it. However, in the real world, I have done some good deeds, and because of this, I have gained love from fans. It is their good wishes and support that have helped me come so far. I am so thankful to them,” shared the comedian.

A Deja-Vu Winning Moment

When he held the Bigg Boss 17 trophy in his hand, he described the feeling as “unreal“. Munawar opened up saying, “The way my journey has been… that moment was such that I could feel the weight of that trophy. This trophy has cost me a lot, but it is worth it. In the end, what was important was not just taking the trophy home, but a lot many things.”

Interestingly, this is Munawar’s second win after ‘Lock Upp‘ in 2022. Talking about history repeating itself with yet another victory on a reality show, the comedian thanked his followers and shared, “This was more than a deja-vu moment for me. Of course, I entered the show intending to win, but there was a lot of baggage that I was carrying. And now, when I reflect on my journey, this trophy feels quite heavy. Fortunately, I had strong shoulders and hence I could carry the weight and bring home the trophy.”

His Public Image & Personal Challenges

The Bigg Boss 17 winner was not okay with his personal life being dragged on the show to this extent. But things were not in his control. “It was a situation I did not want to face, but I had no option. I am not proud of anything I did, but I have to move on and make things better now.”

He also revealed that he went through a lot of mental breakdowns. “…there was not a single day that I have not cried under the blanket or in the bathroom. I felt very helpless, mentally too I was affected. But I will have to face it,” said Munawar. When asked what the future holds for him on a relationship front, he said “I first need to settle down myself, I don’t want to end up hurting anyone now.”

Speaking about the ‘woman cheater’ tag stuck on him, he said, “As far as the relationships are concerned, the ones I made in the house, I would want to continue those. All these tags bother me a lot, but if you have done something wrong, then you will get its punishment too. If you can be at that place where you lose everything, but you didn’t, then you should realize that your good deeds helped there.”

Dongri & The Internet Celebrates Munawar

Munawar Faruqui’s fans are delighted with the result and it shows. The celebrations at Dongri in Mumbai, where Munawar lives, have been stupendous. Ever since his Bigg Boss win, #MunawarFaruqui has been trending on X. So was actor Abhishek Kumar, who was the first runner-up.

Some Bigg Boss viewers are saying Abhishek was more deserving to win the trophy than Munawar. However, some reports suggest that Munawar won the trophy with a huge difference in votes. Mannara Chopra came third and Ankita Lokhande was fourth. YouTuber Arun Mahashetty was in the top five. Faruqui’s supporters feel that he has come a long way.

Ending with a beautiful shayari dedicated to his mother Mumtaz, Munawar narrated, “Tu saath na maa, par saath tera sayaa tha, kitna mashoor rutba ek kamayaa tha, woh todne aaye the mera mitti ka mahal, lekin beta mumtaz ka unka taj cheen ke ayaa tha.”

His fan following is unparalleled. Munawar’s supporters have voted for him through multiple phones while being admitted to the hospital! Now that’s crazy.

What do you feel about Munawar Faruqui being crowned as the winner of Bigg Boss 17? Did he actually play well or did his popularity lead him all the way to the trophy? Let us know in the comments below.