📌 Key Points
- Riteish Deshmukh was visibly irked at the Lock Upp launch event.
- A reporter asked if he would invite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt to the show, referencing their past legal troubles.
- Riteish refused to dignify the question, stating he doesn’t select contestants.
- He clarified his role as a host is to interact with participants, not to choose them.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh recently showed his displeasure at the Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa launch. He was questioned about inviting friends Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt to the reality show, with a controversial reference to their past legal issues. Deshmukh’s sharp response quickly made headlines.
The Controversial Question
Actor Riteish Deshmukh was visibly irked during the launch of Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa when he was asked whether he would invite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt to the reality show, a question referencing the actors’ past legal controversies. Clearly unimpressed by the remark, Riteish didn’t let it slide and fired back with a sharp response.
At the event, Riteish was asked if he would like to have Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt as contestants on the reality show. The question was a reference to the actors’ past legal troubles, with the interviewer suggesting they had enough experience of being in a “lock up”.
The media personnel asked, “Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt are your closest friends. Both have a lot of experience of lock up. So, would you like to get them in Netflix’s Lock Upp? And how would you punish them?”
Riteish’s Sharp Retort
The remark did not go down well with Riteish, who appeared visibly upset by the question. He said, “Sabse pehle mujhe nahin lagta hai ki aapke sawal ka jawab deke main usko koi dignity dena chahunga (First of all, I don’t think I’d like to dignify your question by answering it).”
When he was quizzed again about whether he would like to invite them, the actor clarified that he has no involvement in selecting the contestants for the reality show.
According to the actor, his responsibility as a host is to interact with the participants and guide the proceedings. He said, “I’ll not bring them as my duty is to host. And as a host, I don’t know about the inmates that would appear on the show. Jo bhi guests aate hai Lock Upp mein, unse hum baat karte hai 9″We speak to every guest who comes on Lock Upp).”
Clarifying His Host Role
In the past, Salman was sentenced to five years’ jail term on Friday in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case from a Jodhpur court. Meanwhile, Sanjay served a five-year sentence at Yerwada jail after he was convicted under the Arms Act for possession of illegal weapons linked to the 1993 bombings.
This season will see 14 well-known personalities as ‘inmates’ inside a controlled, high-pressure jail. Cut off from the outside world, stripped of comforts, and subjected to increasingly challenging tasks, the inmates must navigate shifting alliances and difficult choices where every move can flip the narrative overnight.
On Monday, the makers of the reality show unveiled three contestants during a press conference held in Mumbai. Actor Ram Kapoor was introduced as the first contestant of the show, following which Shivangi Joshi and Pamala Serena were also unveiled as the newest inmates of Lock Upp: Sach ya Sazaa. When it launched in 2022, the show premiered on ALTBalaji and MX Player. But the brand-new season sees a collaboration between Netflix and Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms Ltd, as the reality show is set to premiere on the streaming platform from June 27.
Riteish Deshmukh’s firm stance underscores the sensitivity surrounding personal histories, even for public figures. His refusal to engage with the provocative question highlighted his professionalism and boundary-setting as a host, steering clear of unnecessary controversy.
