4 min readMumbaiAug 4, 2026 02:54 PM IST
Netflix’s Lock Upp Sach Ya Sazaa and Amazon Prime Video’s Alliance have been pitted against each other time and again. Last week, Karan Johar took a swipe at the shows at the trailer launch of The Traitors. Over the weekend, Salman Khan took a dig at Lock Upp 2 host Riteish Deshmukh. On Monday, Ekta Kapoor also mocked Alliance, calling it an “obsessed ex.” Amid the ongoing exchange of barbs, Riteish spoke exclusively to SCREEN about Lock Upp’s success, the comparisons with Alliance, and his experience co-hosting the show with Farah Khan.
Riteish Deshmukh on hosting Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa with Farah Khan
An aspect that set Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa apart was the decision of the makers to feature two hosts simultaneously for the first time on a captive reality show. As ambitious as the format was, Riteish Deshmukh admitted he initially had his reservations. Sharing how he looked at co-hosting Lock Upp 2 with Farah Khan, Riteish said, “When Netflix reached out to me, we had a meeting about the show’s format, and then they said there would be two hosts. I wasn’t too sure how I would be able to host a reality show with a partner host. In award functions, we have a co-host, and we do it well. I had experience doing that, but this was something new for me. When they mentioned they had Farah Khan in mind, I instantly said yes. I have known Farah for almost 20 years. She is a dear friend, and there is no sense of competition between us trying to outdo each other. There was no insecurity. I was happy that I was doing the show with Farah.”
According to official data released by Netflix, Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa has clocked 50 million viewing hours, making it one of the platform’s biggest reality show successes. While the show was widely praised for sparking conversations around issues that had rarely been addressed in the captive reality space, Riteish told SCREEN that some of the contestants’ deeply personal revelations also left a lasting impact on him. The actor shared that after Harshad Chopda, Ram Kapoor, Shivangi Joshi, and Sherya Kalra opened up about experiencing sexual abuse during childhood, he had a conversation with his own children about good touch and bad touch. Riteish added that he admires the contestants for owning their truth with such courage and honesty.
Also Read: ‘Winner won’t be a hack’: Karan Johar slams rigged reality shows ahead of The Traitors 2
Riteish Deshmukh on Lock Upp-Alliance comparison
Ever since Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa premiered on Netflix, the show has faced constant comparisons with Bigg Boss and Alliance. While it has frequently been pitted against Alliance over viewership, many viewers initially dismissed it as a cheaper version of Bigg Boss. Reacting to the criticism and the jibes directed at the show, Riteish Deshmukh said, “Once the show is out, it’s open for everyone to see. Every show has its own uniqueness and charisma. I am not putting down some other show or trying to say one show is better than the other. Every show has its own audience. On TV, saas bahu dramas are there in different forms; all of them are popular. We leave it to the audience what they want to like; you cannot force them.”
“We concentrate more on what we want to do on our show than trying to figure out what was happening on other shows. It’s okay. People give their opinions. You get the praise and the brickbats. We cannot think too much about the trolling. It’s okay,” he added.
Lock Upp Grand Finale is slated to stream on August 5 on Netflix at 8 pm.
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