Munawar Faruqui was declared winner of the reality show ‘Lock Upp’, and considering the comedian has spent time in a real lock-up, he said it was comparatively easier for him to take home the prize.
On May 7, Faruqui lifted the trophy, beating contestant Payal Rohatgi in the final race. He was declared winner after receiving more than 180,000 votes.
Apart from the trophy, Faruqui also won Rs200,000, a car and an all expenses paid trip to Italy.
Apart from forming strong bonds with other participants, Faruqui, who was arrested by the Indore Police in a case for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and was in jail for almost a month in 2021, also revealed several shocking anecdotes from his life during his journey on the show. He spoke about how he was physically abused as a child and revealed that his mother had died by suicide.
Faruqui started his career as a stand-up comedian and YouTuber, who became a household name when he was arrested in Bhopal on January 2 last year for a comedy show where he didn’t even perform. Later on February 6, he was granted bail.
Just after winning the show, and holding the trophy, Faruqui weighed in on which lock-up was tougher to deal with.
“Well, compared to the real lock-up, this was not even half per cent...no one knows the humiliation there. This was a game,” he stated.
When asked about his reason to come on the Kangana Ranaut-hosted show, Faruqui didn’t hold back. “On social media I have huge followers who religiously followed my content and story. But with the platform of a reality show like this, my story got a huge volume, larger reach.”
It was through the show that the audience and inmates got to know that the 30-year-old comedian and rapper also had a wife and a small child. However, they are on the verge of divorce and the couple has been separated for more than a year.
Even though he gained popularity on the show, Faruqui said he never had a set plan to win the show. “I came here, understood the vibe of the people and what works for a situation. I think the mental game is there in everything, even when I write a script for my show. But yes, I did not cross a certain line and go dirty to win the game. Now that I have spent 72 days inside, I will be living every single day of my life like a new opportunity.”
‘Lock Upp’, produced by Ekta Kapoor, started on February 27, hosted by Ranaut, with 20 participants who were pitted against each other in a jail-like setting. Celebrities Poonam Pandey, Kaaranvir Bohra, Ali Merchant, Zeeshan Khan, Mandana Karimi, Nisha Rawal, Sara Khan, Vinit Kakar, Babita Phogat, Swami Chakrapani, Tehseen Poonawalla, Siddhartha Sharma, Prince Narula and Chetan Hansraj were also a part of the controversial show.
