Munawar Faruqui says he had an identity crisis after his acting debut: A lot of doubts came in

Comedian Munawar Faruqui, who recently made his acting debut with the web series First Copy, admits that stepping into acting fundamentally changed the way he views performance. “I may have faced the camera before and performed in front of it, but acting is very different,” Munawar says. “Here, you’re given a script and expected to play a character. When the script came, when the lines came, when the character came — that’s when everything shook. I realised on the teaser shoot itself that this is not easy at all.”The reality of the craft, he adds, hit him hard on set. “Even after reaching the set, that same feeling came back. It’s not as easy as it looks because on camera everything shows. So yes, it’s difficult, but I also know bagging a hero’s role is a blessing.”Coming from a background where he wrote and performed his own material, Munawar admits that acting also brought an unexpected identity crisis. “In music and comedy, I used to write my own material and perform it myself. I never had a separate writer. Acting is a totally different form. Identity-wise, I felt stuck in between. What should people expect from me — shayari, music, comedy, acting? A lot of doubts came in.” At the same time, he says, the hunger to connect with audiences has remained constant. “I want to reach people — whether it’s through reality shows, comedy, music or acting. I want to entertain. I want to express myself and present myself. That hunger is so big that whatever the medium is, I will go for it.”