'We grew marijuana for British': Singer Kunal Ganjawala explains surname
What's the story
Bollywood playback singer Kunal Ganjawala, the voice behind hits like O Humdum Soniyo Re and Bheege Honth Tere, has finally revealed the origin of his unique surname. In a recent interview with the Hindi Rush podcast, he shared, "During the British Raj, our family used to grow marijuana for medical purposes."
Family profession
'We used to cultivate cannabis and give it to...'
Ganjawala further elaborated on his family's profession, saying, "We used to cultivate cannabis and give it to the government." "My father told me that our family was exempted from paying land tax because the British took this crop from us." "They had given us the title of 'Rao Saheb.' We used to cultivate it for medical purposes and make opium injections for cancer patients across the British Empire."
Change in profession
Ganjawala's family abandoned marijuana cultivation during Quit India Movement
Ganjawala revealed that his family continued this trade until the Quit India Movement. "After that, we started working in construction and making steel furniture." He also spoke about the curiosity and jokes surrounding his surname on social media. "Sometimes on social media, people are intrigued by my surname, and sometimes they make fun of it. But this is the real history."
Career impact
'This surname actually helped me a lot in the jingle...'
Ganjawala also joked about how his surname helped him in his career. "This surname actually helped me a lot in the jingle industry. People would joke, 'Oh, ganjewala, do you have maal?'" "And I would tell them that I neither smoke nor consume such things."