Munawar Faruqui won Bigg Boss 17 in January 2024, but the trophy did not bring him the peace he expected. The comedian and rapper has now revealed that within months of his victory, he locked himself inside a room for three to four days, cried while offering namaz, and began hating the life that fame had built around him. That difficult phase, he says, pushed him toward marriage with Mehjabeen Coatwala in May 2024.
Speaking on Sania Mirza’s podcast “Serving It Up With Sania”, Munawar shared the full story behind his second marriage for the first time. The episode was released around November 6, 2026, and clips from the conversation have been widely reported by Hindustan Times, NDTV, News18, and the Indian Express.
The months after Bigg Boss 17
Munawar’s personal life stayed under heavy public attention from February to April 2024, just after his Bigg Boss 17 win. During the show, actor Ayesha Khan entered as a wildcard contestant and confronted him over their relationship, alleging that he had promised to marry her before cutting contact. Munawar acknowledged they had been in touch but denied making a direct marriage promise. He still won the show in January 2024.
What followed was not relief. Before entering the Bigg Boss house, Munawar learned that his former wife Jasmine was getting remarried and would not keep their son Mikael with her. He brought the child home and asked his sister to care for the boy for six months while he completed the reality show.
Financially, work kept coming. The attention from women, however, started pulling him in a direction he did not like. Munawar said he recognised the problem within two to two and a half months.
“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.” – Munawar Faruqui on “Serving It Up With Sania”
Locking himself away and praying for a way out
The lowest point came when Munawar shut himself inside a living room for three to four days. Outside, the world was waiting with work and opportunities. Inside, he was praying and crying. The moment he stepped out, he said, he began hating himself.
“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 Faruqui
Namaz, for Munawar, was not a new habit. In an earlier interview from August 2025, he described namaz as therapy: “When you talk about therapy, I know that namaz is therapy”. The 2026 podcast placed that belief inside a specific timeline—the months between his Bigg Boss win and his second wedding.
How Mehjabeen came into the picture
Mehjabeen Coatwala was the cousin of a common friend. Munawar had first met her about a year and a half before their marriage, when she joined them for a movie and they took a photo together. They reconnected after Ramzan when they exchanged Eid greetings, and she sent him a gift. They spoke for three to four days before he learned that she was separated and had a daughter of her own.
After a week of conversations, Munawar asked her to meet. He proposed at that first meeting. Mehjabeen was shocked. She asked for time, wanted to know more about him, and spoke to her parents. She enquired about him for a week while he kept convincing her. Within a month, they were married.
“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.” – Munawar Faruqui
The nikah took place in a private ceremony in Mumbai on May 26, 2024, roughly four months after his Bigg Boss 17 victory. It was a close-knit affair attended only by family members, and guests were not allowed to carry phones inside.
A family built quickly
Mehjabeen is a celebrity makeup artist and was previously married. She has a daughter from her earlier marriage, Samaira. Munawar said he connected with her daughter from the day she came home.
“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.” – Munawar Faruqui
On May 1, 2026, Munawar and Mehjabeen welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Barirah Munawar Faruqui. The couple shared the name and first pictures on social media. Munawar said Barirah gave him a kind of happiness he had not felt before.
“With Barirah, I feel the starting phase of a daughter that I missed, I am getting that with her now. I have a smile which I never got until she was born. I was never so happy.” – Munawar Faruqui
The son who changed his priorities
Munawar’s son Mikael, born in 2018, became central to his decision-making after the Bigg Boss chapter. Munawar and Jasmine married in 2017, separated later, and finalised their divorce in 2022. Munawar has sole custody of Mikael.
The comedian’s reasoning for remarrying was tied directly to the boy. He wanted a settled home, a stable family structure, and a life that his son could grow up inside without chaos.
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Where things stand professionally
Munawar is currently hosting “Pati, Patni Aur Panga 2” on Colors TV. The show keeps him on television screens while his podcast revelations have brought his personal story back into public conversation. His Bigg Boss 17 win, his quick remarriage, and the birth of his daughter have all become part of a timeline that began with a trophy and a locked room.
Also Read: Munawar Faruqui Was a Class Topper Who Quit After Class 6 to Earn ₹10 a Day at Age 8
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