Kunal Ganjawala, the voice behind hits like Salaame, O Humdum Soniyo Re, Tauba Tauba, Dil Na Diya and Bheege Honth Tere, has finally explained the origin of his unusual surname and shared the surprising story behind “Ganjawala” — something that has long intrigued fans and sparked jokes online.
“My ancestors grew marijuana for medical purposes”
Kunal revealed that his surname dates back to the British Raj.“During the British Raj, our family used to grow marijuana for medical purposes. It was a profession before 1942, before the Quit India Movement,” he said.He continued, “Hum ganje ki kheti karte the, aur uska produce hum government ko dete the. Mere father ne mujhe bataya ki humein lagaan maaf tha… Kyunki humse British ye cheez lete the aur humein ‘Rao Saheb’ ki takhti de rakhi thi. Hum medical purposes ke liye iski kheti kiya karte the, aur uss mein se woh afeem ke injections banaakar cancer patients ko diya karte the.”
Why the family left the trade
Kunal said the work continued until the Quit India Movement, when Mahatma Gandhi urged Indians to become self-sufficient.“After that, we started working in construction and making steel furniture,” he said.He admitted that his surname still draws reactions.“We were licensed druggists during the British Raj until 1942. Sometimes people are intrigued by my surname, and sometimes they make fun of it. But this is the real history,” he said.Kunal added that the name even helped him 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.”
