Kangana Ranaut Munawar Faruqui In Lock Upp, A Collab We Never Expected

A new reality show Lock Upp produced by ALTBalaji has actor Kangana Ranaut playing the host who acts like a jailer.

The makers revealed the second confirmed contestant of the show and it shocked netizens. The contestant is comedian Munawar Farugui. The comedian was jailed in 2021 for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of people in Madhya Pradesh with his joke. The comedian has been vocal about his experiences in jail and how the state's actions stopped him from exercising his fundamental rights.

Eklavya Gaur, the convenor of the Hind Rakshak Sangathan and son of Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Malini Gaur filed had filed the complaint against Faruqui. He had alleged that Faruqui and his friends went to watch a show where "indecent jokes" on Hindu gods, goddesses and Union Minister Amit Shah were being cracked. Faruqui was kept in jail for over a month, when though the police did not have enough evidence to prove his crime. Even after Faruqui was released on bail, he was being allegedly harassed by the Hindutva groups who threatened to attack when he would perform again. The comedian has had to cancel many shows in the past year owing to the threats.

Kangana Ranaut Munawar Faruqui: An Unexpected Collab

Faruqui's presence in a show hosted by Kangana Ranaut seems ominous. Especially after considering the concept of the show. As per the details revealed by the makers, Faruqui like other contestants will have to play the 'atyachari khel' to survive in the show. The comedian is seen in orange jumpsuit worn similar to what prisoners wear in American prisons. The show's other confirmed contestant is Nisha Rawal, television actor who recently accused her husband, actor Karan Mehra of domestic abuse.

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Kangana Ranaut as the host of the show will have all the freedom to eliminate the contestants at her will. Basically, Ranaut will have her own version of Bigg Boss where anything could happen. Munawar Faruqui gave his statement on joining the show. He said, "Lock Upp is going to be a one-of-its-kind shows, as I believe it has the potential to change the dynamics of the content-viewing experience in the Indian OTT industry. Though it’s going to be a tough and challenging journey for me, I am glad that this show also gives me an opportunity to be myself in a real set up."

The show will have 16 contestants who have been part of recent controversies. They will stay in the show, or the jail as the makers like to call it, for 72 days. The official synopsis suggests that the contestants would have to reveal their deepest darkest secrets to survive the game. The show will start streaming from February 27.

Reacting to the show's second contestant, netizens were seen confused about how the comedian will take part in a show hosted by Kangana Ranaut. The actor is known for her pro-state statements and has been often called out for making inappropriate remarks against public figures. Many also started sharing Faruqui's old tweets about Kangana Ranaut in which he had written, "I think right wing goons got angry because Taslim Ali was selling KANGANA at two rupees." Faruqui's tweet was about an incident when Indore police arrested a Muslim bangle-seller named Taslim Ali for alleged harassment.

His another tweet also started doing rounds. Faruqui had written, "Kangana k tweets padh k lag rha hai firse judicial custody chala jau." (Reading Kangana tweets makes me want to go back to judicial custody). A former journalist Meena Kotwal shared the promo of the show and wrote, "Divided by ideology, united by money."

One user wrote, "Y'all are literally no one to lash out at him for his work with Kangana. It's his life and he can choose to do whatever he wants for his "living". He is not an activist ffs. Also get out of twt and see how real life works. " The number tweets on Faruqui's upcoming show appearance had his name trending on the micro-blogging site.