Munawar Faruqui will be one of the contestants in Lock Upp. (Photo: Munawar/Instagram) Social media has been buzzing ever since Munawar Faruqui was announced as a contestant on Lock Upp. The ALTBalaji-MX Player show will see Kangana Ranaut as the host while 16 ‘controversial celebrities’ will fight for survival in what is being described by makers as a ‘badass jail’. The show will go on for 72 days.
The stand-up comedian, who has been in the eye of the storm for most of 2021, believes Lock Upp gives him a chance for social media cleansing. “I thought it would be my getaway but I have been told they have planned bigger torture for us,” Munawar smiles. He spent a month in jail last year for allegedly “insulting Hindu gods and goddesses” during one of his shows. After he was released on bail, over a dozen of his shows were cancelled. In a statement, the comedian had later said that he was put in jail for a joke he had never made. He had also hinted that he was done with comedy. “Nafrat jeet gayi, artist haar gaya (hate has won, artist has lost). I’m done, goodbye. Injustice,” he had written.
In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Munawar said that when he was approached for the show, he knew it would be a very different experience. Stating that it’s also going to be a challenge to step out of his comfort zone, Munawar said that he is glad as people will get to know him. “Honestly, there are fans who follow you, and there are people who hate you for no reason. Then, there are some who don’t reaally know you. This show is not just about me as people may tune in for the host and the other contestants. However, they will also get to know me. I have always been a real person and I think with this show, you will see my unfiltered personality.”
Having been under the scanner for months at end, what made him choose a show that is likely to thrive on controversies? In a stern tone Munawar Faruqui said, “Firstly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong in being controversial. It only means that people did not hear your side of the story, or maybe you were taken out of context. I never wanted to be a part of controversies. I never went and told the media my statement to cause some bawaal (commotion). The part of my video that had hurt people, I removed it immediately. It was the public that played it around for a year and made it news. I never wanted to be controversial, they made me so. I was happy doing comedy and celebrating my 100 million numbers.”
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Given the show is based on a jail setup, Munawar Faruqui said that there are experiences in life that “one doesn’t want to relive or even talk about”, and this is one of them. While he is not sure how things will go for him in the show, he is confident that nothing would trigger him. He said, “Honestly, I believe in sabr (patience) but every person has a different threshold. I am also a human and don’t know how much I can tolerate. But otherwise, I am a very calm person and I understand if someone is mean, that’s their personality. It doesn’t bother me.”
In the promos, Kangana Ranaut has promised she will make life hell for the contestants. With both of them having very different ideologies, will things come to a head between him and the actor? “If someone believes in ideologies, they would also believe that we live in a democratic country. We all have the freedom of speech and to put across our beliefs. If one expects to be heard and their opinions respected, they too would have to do the same. It’s going to be a give and take situation.”
He also shared that he has no fears about the project. “There may be things that I may not like, but fear is a big word. It’s a reality show but at the end of the day, it is only work for me. I don’t think there’s any scope for any apprehensions.”
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Munawar Faruqui’s promo had him discussing his ‘shows getting cancelled’. When asked if Lock Upp will improve the situation for him, he said, “That is not why I am doing the show. People who hate me will never understand me. These issues have been created for no reason. Also, I haven’t been officially banned. If people go to my show’s venue and threaten the organisers, then they are the problem to the society, not me. I am just making people laugh. I have always had a platform to voice my opinion. People who follow me, know that I always send out messages in a light manner. I make jokes about my worst situations. My only aim is to entertain.”
Starting February 27, Lock Upp will stream on ALTBalaji and MX Player. Apart from Munawar Faruqui, Nisha Rawal has also been confirmed as a contestant.
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