Sumaiya Iqbal writes about the up and rising youtube comedian and entertainer Farhana Muna, whose videos about typical Bangladeshi interactions in different forms of relationships have gone virals
new age
A creative individual, role model and an inspiration to thousands right now, Farhana Muna, also popularly known in the social media as Munatic, has in less than four months redefined lunacy and brought a change in how our little city perceives comedy for not only women but men too. She is adventurous with her roles (which will leave you on the floor laughing as you roll about like a maniac!) and a natural when it comes to the art of comedy and entertainment.
Born in Saudi Arabia, Farhana studied at an international school in Jeddah but shifted to Dhaka during her teenage years. Right after the completion of her A levels from Mastermind School, she left for Australia joining University of Melbourne. By day she works as a humble and diligent training co-coordinator and teacher but by night, she is Munatic – her alter ego that defines raw ‘Bangali’ humour paired with wittiness and caricature.
Munatic’s climb to fame amazingly took a little less than two days as her very first video ‘How Bangali women react when you’ve lost weight’ uploaded in September of 2015 was shared by the infamous page ‘Moja Losss?’ on facebook and shared repeatedly by thousands of social media users. The video was inspired by the many comments she came across from a number of people after losing 20 kilogrammes in very little time. In it, she acts out the various reactions one usually encounters after losing a considerable amount of weight and yes, the aunty who can never say anything positive with your appearance no matter how darling you look, is there too!
‘The first video was truly so random, it still surprises me when I think of how many views it has gotten! I was being my usual crazy self at home and acting out some of the reactions people had to my weight loss. Fortunately enough, my husband videotaped my ridiculousness and we uploaded it solely for friends and family to see! The next morning, I woke up to more than thousands of views! It was crazy!’ says Munatic, as she describes the unbelievable shock she was in after the response she received from the public.
The frenzy around her work, once it began, continued on an upwards spiral and with what it seems, will only continue as her fan base gets larger with every passing day. Her work is refreshing, real and fully entertaining not to mention a very accurate description of what typical Bangali relationships sometimes can be. One of her recent works ‘Types of guests at a Bangali party’ hilariously portrays the typical scenes one witnesses in the dawats attended and if you pay enough attention, you will surely find a resemblance!
It will come as a surprise to most though that Munatic was not always the witty, rebellious comedian we now know. She was rather a victim of bullying in her school days and would get teased often for being overweight. However, overtime, she realised that her sense of humour and positive personality was what she needed to overcome the negativity. ‘I relied on my ability to make others laugh and it made everything so much easier!’ she shares.
When asked about the community of Bangladeshi Youtubers, Munatic mentions how humbled she feels to be a part of it. ‘I have nothing but admiration for these hard working individuals who put in so much effort into their work! It is truly amazing to be part of such a community,’ she tells New Age Youth as she describes the passion she sees in the works of other content creators. The job is one that requires considerable patience as making a three minute video sometimes ends up taking 24 hours on end. Juggling a full time job along with the work online can be difficult. ‘It really is not as easy as it looks and it can be tiresome if one does not feel motivated,’ she says. There are also times when young and budding entertainers online may feel self conscious and to cope, Munatic mentions how important it is to feel comfortable with what is being done. ‘Be yourself, do not care about whether you are looking pretty or ugly or are looking at an angle! Be ridiculous and just go for it!’
Moreover, with Youtube at its infancy among the Bangladeshi youth community, both Youtubers and their audience have much to experience and learn. Dealing with the criticism online sometimes becomes very difficult for young individuals especially females. Online harassment, even though illegal and punishable, is frequent and can take a toll on some. ‘There are problems that come with being a female in the public eye and I’ll be honest when I say it can be frightening sometimes. There are continuous perverted messages and comments which are hard to deal with for me like it would be for anyone. However, with the immense love and support I have gotten from my fans with their continuous messages of encouragement, I do not allow the negativity to get to me,’ she says with a confident smile.
When asked about what advice she would give to young female entertainers, she has one line – ‘Put on a helmet, toughen up and keep doing what you’re doing!’ Munatic sets an example for the many girls out there still struggling to gather the courage to express themselves creatively online. She has truly proven herself to be a bold, free spirited and well, completely loony individual who is a natural at performance!