Reality shows, yeah yeah, we have seen plenty, but they are in no comparison to Lock Upp right now, where you may find one person’s trauma dump be used by another as a strategy for nominations before breakfast.
After a long hiatus of four years, Ekta Kapoor’s wonderful chaos factory returns this time on Netflix with Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh hosting the show.
Who is on Lock Upp? The contestant list is honestly stacked with many famous faces from Indian television alongside new talents. So there’s Ram Kapoor, Harshad Chopda, Shivangi Joshi and Dheeraj Dhoopar all rubbing elbows with Sunita Ahuja, Akanksha Chamola, Sufi Motiwala, Shreya Kalra, Pamela Serena, Laila, Yogesh Rawat and so many others. All of these contestants are getting viewers already emotionally (way too) invested, according to Reddit.
So…adding to the madness, here are six things we would love to see happen on the show this season.
1. Please will someone, anyone, call Ram Kapoor out? Properly?
Post growing up, you come to appreciate that Ram Kapoor raised most of Indian television. If your mother watched and enjoyed Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and made you sit with her to watch it too, congrats, you had an elite childhood.
But Ram ji, where’s the gentlemen we loved to see on the show?
As demonstrated by his inability to secure drinking water during task one, as well as how he acted as though rules do not apply to him, his attitude is much less worthy of being identified as “a TV legend” than it is to be identified as “the main character of the chaotic universe with a never-ending premium subscription.”
And then farah khan…..
While farah khan was talking, he gave his hand signal to stop talking. SIR WHAT????
In the promos, we can see that kangana is about to confirm this sentiment because she asked him, “do you think you are ‘too good for this show?'”
We can’t wait for the popcorn to pop!
2. A Harshad & Shivangi Ship
Every season, there is at least one pairing that makes the whole audience collectively “awwwww.”
This season, however, that pairing is harshad and shivangi, without even trying!
Shivangi Joshi, aaah! She’s practically been claimed by the house as its “Butterfly Girl”, as she pretty much pops up in the house looking like a “Disney Princess”, that somehow got on the wrong bus and ended up on a “Real World” style prison reality show.
But behind all that “sunshine”, she shared that a past relationship (about one or two years ago) broke her into pieces. Although she has since moved on, you can see she still has huge scars.
And you know what, Harshad also shared a similar story on the premiere about how his girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend. Yes, what in the Pyaar ka punchnaama?
Now can you see where this is heading?
Two people with similar emotional baggage, finding a way to connect and support each other emotionally, without all the unnecessary drama. YES PLEASE!
Whether the connection becomes a romantic relationship or remains a wholesome friendship is irrelevant. There is already a divide on Reddit; half of the fandom is shipping them together, while the other half is pleading for people to not ruin what appears to be one of the healthiest bonds in the house!
3. Dear Lock Upp, could you please send Gaurav Khanna to the house? We have a lot of questions to ask him.
At this moment, Akanksha Chamola and Gaurav Khanna have created a relationship that needs an investigative committee; as literally no one has a clue what the hell is actually going on!
When Akanksha entered the home, she announced her separation from Gaurav. Since that point, she has also expressed a desire for independence. In a heartfelt chat with Shreya and Sufi, she divulged that due to her young marriage, all she wants is to enjoy her freedom. Another major reason for their split is that they did not share the same vision of the future, while Gaurav wants to have children, she does not. Fair enough.
In the meantime, Gaurav Khanna has been very public about how he feels about his wife, which has led many to scratch their heads as he has repeatedly spoken to the media in an endearing manner (he recently called her “Meri biwi hai yaar”), and with tenderness.
So the question remains… Are they really splitting up? Or are they trying to reconcile? Do they still have a chance at being with each other? Is this a bizarre situation of love and confusion?
No one knows, thanks to our friends over at Reddit.
4. Laila and Sufi becoming friends was not on our 2026 Bingo card… So we want more of it!
When Laila and Pamela began to bond, we thought we had seen everything… because their friendship seemed like a glitch in the universe.
According to what we know so far, the whole internet has agreed that Laila is an overgrown teddy bear who is full of cuddly and kindness hiding underneath all the attitude. Every other person on Instagram calling him adorable, generous, and caring, as well as making arguments for why he is wholesome, is really convincing.
Now…pair that with Sufi and it feels like a Koala and a Penguin, becoming unlikely best friends.
We need to have the two of them together getting into some deep conversations and yeah, maybe eating food from the same plate. Bro stuff together!
Most importantly, we need Sufi to be able to open up and share his story with Laila in a way that shows the growth of their relationship.
5. Someone needs to either become friends with Shreya Kalra… or needs to give her receipts once and for all.
To be honest, this girl actually fulfilled the assignment, kudos to her! She is everywhere, involved in every argument and has so much house kalesh on her plate…you would think she is getting paid overtime!
But girl, you’re also exhausting everyone around you, too.
Let’s recap. She argued with Ram Kapoor since Day 1. She has a problem with Akanksha Chamola, has fought with Yogesh, and tried to get at Pamela. She had a nasty falling out with Sufi who was supposed to be one of her closest home friends. She even argued with Dheeraj Dhoopar.
So if Shreya starts arguing with the dining room table, then we won’t even flinch. So we would actually like to see something that surprises us, Shreya finding one true friend.
Because beneath all of that strategic play, it would be nice to see a softer side of her that isn’t followed by an explosion immediately after.
Or…
If that isn’t going to happen, then just get everyone together in the living room, turn on the big screen, and replay the time Shreya outed Akanksha as bisexual to the entire world on live television.
That wasn’t just “playing the game.” That crossed a line and Shreya should have known better!
Toodlesss.