Comedian Munawar Faruqui To Feature As Contestant On Kangana Ranaut's 'Lock Upp'

Audiences will soon see comedian Munawar Faruqui on Lock Upp, a reality show led by Kangana Ranaut. In what is rather an unlikely partnership, since Faruqui and Ranaut have been known to take potshots at each other on social media, the comedian will be 'jailed' in the actor's on-screen prison on charges of a 'joke gone wrong.'

Lock Upp is backed by Ekta Kapoor and will see 16 "controversial" Indian celebrities, as specified by its trailer, face-off with each other in a tell-all format. The ALTBalaji and MX Player show begins streaming February 27. Television actor Nisha Rawal was the first confirmed contestant with Faruqui being the second.

The announcement that Faruqui will share space as a contestant with Ranaut in the upcoming OTT series has prompted a wave of reactions on the internet, ranging from disbelief to memes.

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Who is Munawar Faruqui?

A standup comedian, Faruqui was arrested last year in January after a show he performed in Madhya Pradesh sparked controversy. For a joke he never made, an audience member - later reported to be associated with right-wing groups - levelled allegations of religious content against Faruqui, saying he would have made fun of Hindu deities.

Faruqui was subsequently released from jail, per a Supreme Court order, but over the year faced cancellations of multiple standup shows across the country. Several from the Indian comedy scene have expressed support for Faruqui, citing the freedom of speech for a comedian. More here.

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In the first tweet he made following his bail last year, Faruqui referencing Ranaut wrote, "Kangana ke tweets padke lag raha hai Fir se Judicial custody chala jaun!" At the time, Ranaut was active on the microblogging platform before her account was suspended in May 2021.

On his participation in Lock Upp, Faruqui said in a statement that the show "has the potential to change the dynamics of the content-viewing experience in the Indian OTT industry" and will allow him to be himself in a real setup.