Poonam Pandey is one of the contestants of Lock Upp. (Photo: PR) Controversy might as well be model-actor Poonam Pandey’s middle name. The woman who became (in)famous as she promised to strip if India won the cricket World Cup in 2011, has kept a steady stream of speculation going. Perhaps adding the latest chapter is her participation in Lock Upp, a show that makes no bones about its USP — to be bold and controversial. Hosted by Kangana Ranaut, the captive reality show promises to hog headlines, Before entering the jail, Poonam spoke to indianexpress.com and shared how she said yes to it because of its unpredictable nature.
“I have been offered other shows previously but this is different. Forget the audience, none of the contestants know what will happen inside. It’s going to be challenging and yet fun. Honestly, I am scared but also very excited. I don’t think anyone would have ever said no to this show,” said Poonam Pandey.
For her, working with Kangana Ranaut was another reason to be in Lock Upp. Heaping words of praise on the host, Poonam Pandey said, “She has inspired me for a very long time. I really like women who are opinionated and not scared of anyone. Honestly, we girls are conditioned and trained to be a certain way. And when someone breaks that image and becomes who they want to be, that’s so beautiful. She has broken past the prejudiced system and I can’t wait to interact with her.”
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She further shared how through the reality show, she wants to showcase the real Poonam Pandey, who is a girl next door. Stating that whenever someone meets her in real life, they are surprised at her intelligence, humour and simplicity. “I know I became famous, sometimes even for the wrong reasons but I cannot ride on that. I want people to see the real me. I want them to know I am more than just a headline. I have gone through a lot, made mistakes, got beaten up and now I want to change the world’s opinion about me. I am also a human being, who has emotions and is not filled with just controversy.”
On asked if she regrets the image that she’s built for herself, a sombre Poonam Pandey said, “I do…big time. I regret projecting a controversial image in public. And now that I am presenting my real self, everyone is shocked why I portrayed something else. I was young and told to do that. There were people who told me that I would gain fame this way, and I believed that. I want to change that thought now.” She added that this would also be her chance to get better work, as she wants to ‘at least work for the next five years’.
Apart from creating controversies, Poonam Pandey also had to overcome a bad marriage. In 2020, she announced her wedding to businessman Sam Bombay. However, she soon filed a domestic violence case against him, following which they separated. Sharing that violence made her stronger, she added, “I have been born out of a controversy. I have had people mistreating me for years. It really doesn’t affect me anymore. I know people might want to use my past against me but I am a very calm person, and it would not be easy to trigger me. All said and done, I will also not take anyone’s misbehaviour and will give it back to them.”
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Lastly, Poonam Pandey said that apart from seeing her new avatar, fans can also expect a lot of entertainment from her. “And not just me, I think all of us in the show would do our best to create a rocking show for the audience,” she concluded.
Along with Poonam Pandey, Lock Upp also hosts Munawar Faruqui, Nisha Rawal, Babita Phogat, Karanvir Bohra, Sara Khan, Swami Chakrapani, Saisha Shinde, Shivam Sharma, Siddharth Sharma, Anjali Arora, Payal Rohatgi and Tehseen Poonawala.
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