Kunal Ganjawala has always received a lot of praise for his music and his soulful voice. Considered one of the most iconic voices, he has influenced an entire generation with his musical prowess. However, many have often wondered about his unusual surname, which is linked to marijuana. The singer has finally cleared the confusion by revealing the real story behind his family name. Kunal explained that his community carries a different surname, Bhansali and that he belongs to the group of Balochi Hindus whose ancestors lived in Balochistan.
Kunal Ganjawala reveals his surname was Bhansali
During his appearance on Hindi Rush Podcast, Kunal Ganjawala explained, “My community’s surname is Bhansali. Like filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, we are Balochi Hindus. Our ancestors lived in Balochistan, where one of the 52 Shakti Peeths, the Mahahinglaj Mata temple, still exists. People still go there for a pilgrimage.”
He added, “Many folk musicians from Rajasthan and Gujarat have performed there. Some Sufi singers we met through Coke Studio also told us they have sung at that shrine many times.”
Kunal Ganjawala reveals the story behind his surname
Kunal went on to explain that during British rule, his family was officially licensed to grow marijuana for medical use. This was their main occupation until 1942. He reveals that the crop they produced would be handed to the government to make medicines for cancer patients. He added that because of their service, his family did not have to pay land tax and that they even received a special honour from the British.
The singer shared, “During British rule, our family was licensed to grow marijuana for medical purposes. This was our profession before 1942, before the Quit India Movement. We grew the crop and gave it to the government. My father told me that our ancestors did not have to pay land tax because the British collected this crop from us. We were even given a Rao Saheb title for this work. From this crop, medicines like opium based injections were made for cancer patients across the British Kingdom, including areas up to Afghanistan in undivided India. Our family continued this work until the Quit India movement.”
Kunal Ganjawala shared that after Mahatma Gandhi started a movement to encourage everyone to start using local products, his family eventually stopped growing marijuana. They later started making steel cupboards and safes in Kalbadevi, Mumbai. He adds that his family was among the first to teach the Godrej company how to create strong safes through their business, Crown Steel.