Ekta Kapoor’s reality show Lock Upp is all set to premiere on ALTBalaji and MX Player from tonight. One of the contestants who will be locked up in the show is comedian Munawar Faruqui. Hours ahead of the show’s premiere, the makers released a promo that shares a glimpse of Munawar’s argument with the host Kangana Ranaut.
The video begins with Kangana asking Munawar his reason to participate in the show. “Mujhse panga lene toh nahi aaye ho (Are you here to screw me up)?” the Manikarnika actress can be heard asking the comedian in the promo. Following this, Kangana also mentions that she was just joking, but Munawar adds that it wasn’t funny. Later, Munawar talks about how he does not want to bring a revolution with his comedy. “Mujhe comedy se kuch change nahi karna hai. Kalakaar kranti nahi laa paya aaj tak (I don’t want to change anything with comedy. An artist can never bring a revolution),” he said. This stuns Kangana Ranaut who goes on to say that she wishes to give ‘Saza-e-maut’ i.e death penalty to the comedian. To this, Munawar replied, “Mereko dhamkiyaan mat deejiye (Don’t threaten me).”
For the unversed, Munawar Faruqui made headlines last year after he was arrested by the Indore Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. He was put in jail for almost a month. Later in November, several of his shows were cancelled in Bengaluru amid protests by Hindu right-wing outfits. Following this, he announced quitting his career and wrote on social media, “Nafrat jeet gayi, artist haar gaya (hate has won, the artist has lost). I’m done, goodbye. Injustice (sic).”
Talking about Lock Upp, it will Livestream on ALTBalaji and MX Player from 10 PM tonight. In the show, 16 controversial celebrities will be put together in Lock Upp for months and stripped of their amenities. These contestants will be locked up in the show’s prison with people they can’t see eye-to-eye. Apart from Munawar Faruqui, other contestants who have been confirmed to participate in the show so far are television actors Nisha Rawal, Karanvir Bohra, Poonam Pandey and wrestler Babita Phogat.
