Munawar Faruqui earned his fanbase and became a name to reckon with in the comedy circuit. However, the artiste, who lately has been focusing a lot of music, aspires to broaden his horizons and shed the labels attached to him.

But, he’s quick to clarify, “It doesn’t mean I’ve shifted my focus [to music]. I’m simultaneously doing comedy also. I released a song from my upcoming album Madaari and then I put out a video named Kela, which did really well. Toh main gaano ke beech mein standup videos bhi daal deta hoon.”

While some believe Faruqui is venturing out into a newer space because of the controversies he landed in when his jokes didn’t go well with a section of people, the comedian-rapper insists that’s not the case.

“Main music iss liye kar raha hoon kyunki mujhe maza aa raha hai. It has nothing to do with jokes not landing,” he says, adding, “As a writer, I filter my jokes thoroughly so that I feel satisfied before presenting them to an audience. People may later say, ‘Oh, isne usse mota kaise bola, ya kaala kaise bola’, but if they first laugh at my jokes, I consider my job done. That means my joke was funny.”

Asked if he wishes to pursue music as a full-time career option, he says that was never his focus. “Career mera bann chuka hai already! I just want to entertain more and more people. Stadium bharna hai; how to do that is what I have to figure out,” he quips, and explains, “For an artiste, it’s very difficult to make a transition from one art form to another. Aap comedian ho toh logon ko lagta hai ki music shaunk se kar raha hoga. Even after my album gets released, I know 50% of the people will not even realize that I’ve actually sung the songs.”