Dheeraj Dhoopar is not boring on Lock Upp, best is yet to come: Wife Vinny Arora
Actor Vinny Arora said her husband Dheeraj Dhoopar is simply being himself on Lock Upp. She dismissed criticism that he is 'boring' or playing safe. Vinny also opened up about his biggest struggle on the show and why the family was worried before he signed up.
Dheeraj Dhoopar's wife, actor Vinny Arora, expressed that she is not worried by viewers calling him 'boring' or 'too calm' on Lock Upp, saying that what audiences are seeing is his real personality. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Vinny said there is nothing calculated about the way Dheeraj has conducted himself on the reality show so far.
She said Dheeraj is someone who observes people, reacts only when necessary and does not create drama for the sake of it. Vinny also said his biggest challenge on the show was not surviving the format, but staying away from his family, especially their son. She added that viewers have only just begun to see his personality on screen.
"Our biggest concern was never how the show would go. It was the fact that he would have to stay away from us, especially our son. Dheeraj is an emotional person. He doesn't enjoy partying or hanging out with friends. He wraps up work and rushes home. That's who he is," she said.
Why Dheeraj agreed to do Lock Upp
According to Vinny, the actor had turned down reality shows in the past because of the long commitment. Lock Upp, however, felt different. "When Netflix and Balaji explained that the show would only last around 40-45 days, it felt like the right opportunity. Balaji has been home for Dheeraj for years because of Kundali Bhagya. If he ever had to make his reality TV debut, this felt like the perfect combination."
'What you're watching is the real Dheeraj'
While many viewers felt Dheeraj spent his first week lying low, Vinny insisted there was nothing strategic about it. She said her husband never enters a room and immediately reacts to everything. Instead, he observes and understands people, and speaks only when he genuinely feels the need to. He's not someone who trusts people instantly either. "What you're watching is the real Dheeraj," Vinny said.
The actor added that she believes viewers are only beginning to see his real personality emerge. "This is nothing. The best is yet to come. He's one of those people whose graph only goes upwards. He's not someone who creates drama for the sake of it. When he feels something warrants a response, he will respond. People who have done reality shows know what sells. But somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that genuinely good people still exist. Nowadays, if you're aggressive or overly emotional, people call you real. But if you're polite and composed, suddenly you are fake or protecting your image. Why can't someone simply be a nice person?"
Addressing the criticism that actors avoid conflicts to safeguard their public image, Vinny said there's nothing wrong with wanting to protect a reputation built through years of hard work. She said, "Honestly, I don't even think that's what Dheeraj is doing. Actors have seen enough struggles in real life. They don't feel the need to react to every little thing. Not every situation deserves your energy."
On the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television' tag
Vinny also defended Dheeraj over the accusation on the show that he uses the tag of being the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television'. The actor said, "Dheeraj never called himself that. The audience gave him that title. Even Karan Johar once compared him to Shah Rukh Khan. Dheeraj has only ever said that he admires Shah Rukh and wants to be like him. There's a huge difference."
Vinny's biggest worry about the show
Asked about the emotional revelations contestants are expected to make on the show, Vinny admitted that aspect worries her the most: "My concern isn't about his secrets coming out. It's about him having to relive those moments all over again. Whenever life has thrown challenges at us, I have only tried to be his strength. That's all I want to continue doing. I am only worried about what he will go through."
Even though reality television has never been a favourite in the Dhoopar household, Vinny said the entire family is watching Lock Upp for the first time because of him."Our parents never watched reality shows before. Even we didn't because our son once picked up a slang word after watching one of these shows. Dheeraj immediately switched it off," she laughed, adding, however, that the entire family is hooked and proud to see the way he is on Lock Upp.
"He's not pretending to be someone else. As more layers of his personality unfold, people will understand him better," she concluded.
Hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, Lock Upp streams on Netflix.
Dheeraj Dhoopar's wife, actor Vinny Arora, expressed that she is not worried by viewers calling him 'boring' or 'too calm' on Lock Upp, saying that what audiences are seeing is his real personality. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Vinny said there is nothing calculated about the way Dheeraj has conducted himself on the reality show so far.
She said Dheeraj is someone who observes people, reacts only when necessary and does not create drama for the sake of it. Vinny also said his biggest challenge on the show was not surviving the format, but staying away from his family, especially their son. She added that viewers have only just begun to see his personality on screen.
"Our biggest concern was never how the show would go. It was the fact that he would have to stay away from us, especially our son. Dheeraj is an emotional person. He doesn't enjoy partying or hanging out with friends. He wraps up work and rushes home. That's who he is," she said.
Why Dheeraj agreed to do Lock Upp
According to Vinny, the actor had turned down reality shows in the past because of the long commitment. Lock Upp, however, felt different. "When Netflix and Balaji explained that the show would only last around 40-45 days, it felt like the right opportunity. Balaji has been home for Dheeraj for years because of Kundali Bhagya. If he ever had to make his reality TV debut, this felt like the perfect combination."
'What you're watching is the real Dheeraj'
While many viewers felt Dheeraj spent his first week lying low, Vinny insisted there was nothing strategic about it. She said her husband never enters a room and immediately reacts to everything. Instead, he observes and understands people, and speaks only when he genuinely feels the need to. He's not someone who trusts people instantly either. "What you're watching is the real Dheeraj," Vinny said.
The actor added that she believes viewers are only beginning to see his real personality emerge. "This is nothing. The best is yet to come. He's one of those people whose graph only goes upwards. He's not someone who creates drama for the sake of it. When he feels something warrants a response, he will respond. People who have done reality shows know what sells. But somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that genuinely good people still exist. Nowadays, if you're aggressive or overly emotional, people call you real. But if you're polite and composed, suddenly you are fake or protecting your image. Why can't someone simply be a nice person?"
Addressing the criticism that actors avoid conflicts to safeguard their public image, Vinny said there's nothing wrong with wanting to protect a reputation built through years of hard work. She said, "Honestly, I don't even think that's what Dheeraj is doing. Actors have seen enough struggles in real life. They don't feel the need to react to every little thing. Not every situation deserves your energy."
On the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television' tag
Vinny also defended Dheeraj over the accusation on the show that he uses the tag of being the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television'. The actor said, "Dheeraj never called himself that. The audience gave him that title. Even Karan Johar once compared him to Shah Rukh Khan. Dheeraj has only ever said that he admires Shah Rukh and wants to be like him. There's a huge difference."
Vinny's biggest worry about the show
Asked about the emotional revelations contestants are expected to make on the show, Vinny admitted that aspect worries her the most: "My concern isn't about his secrets coming out. It's about him having to relive those moments all over again. Whenever life has thrown challenges at us, I have only tried to be his strength. That's all I want to continue doing. I am only worried about what he will go through."
Even though reality television has never been a favourite in the Dhoopar household, Vinny said the entire family is watching Lock Upp for the first time because of him."Our parents never watched reality shows before. Even we didn't because our son once picked up a slang word after watching one of these shows. Dheeraj immediately switched it off," she laughed, adding, however, that the entire family is hooked and proud to see the way he is on Lock Upp.
"He's not pretending to be someone else. As more layers of his personality unfold, people will understand him better," she concluded.
Hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, Lock Upp streams on Netflix.
Dheeraj Dhoopar's wife, actor Vinny Arora, expressed that she is not worried by viewers calling him 'boring' or 'too calm' on Lock Upp, saying that what audiences are seeing is his real personality. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Vinny said there is nothing calculated about the way Dheeraj has conducted himself on the reality show so far.
She said Dheeraj is someone who observes people, reacts only when necessary and does not create drama for the sake of it. Vinny also said his biggest challenge on the show was not surviving the format, but staying away from his family, especially their son. She added that viewers have only just begun to see his personality on screen.
"Our biggest concern was never how the show would go. It was the fact that he would have to stay away from us, especially our son. Dheeraj is an emotional person. He doesn't enjoy partying or hanging out with friends. He wraps up work and rushes home. That's who he is," she said.
Why Dheeraj agreed to do Lock Upp
According to Vinny, the actor had turned down reality shows in the past because of the long commitment. Lock Upp, however, felt different. "When Netflix and Balaji explained that the show would only last around 40-45 days, it felt like the right opportunity. Balaji has been home for Dheeraj for years because of Kundali Bhagya. If he ever had to make his reality TV debut, this felt like the perfect combination."
'What you're watching is the real Dheeraj'
While many viewers felt Dheeraj spent his first week lying low, Vinny insisted there was nothing strategic about it. She said her husband never enters a room and immediately reacts to everything. Instead, he observes and understands people, and speaks only when he genuinely feels the need to. He's not someone who trusts people instantly either. "What you're watching is the real Dheeraj," Vinny said.
The actor added that she believes viewers are only beginning to see his real personality emerge. "This is nothing. The best is yet to come. He's one of those people whose graph only goes upwards. He's not someone who creates drama for the sake of it. When he feels something warrants a response, he will respond. People who have done reality shows know what sells. But somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that genuinely good people still exist. Nowadays, if you're aggressive or overly emotional, people call you real. But if you're polite and composed, suddenly you are fake or protecting your image. Why can't someone simply be a nice person?"
Addressing the criticism that actors avoid conflicts to safeguard their public image, Vinny said there's nothing wrong with wanting to protect a reputation built through years of hard work. She said, "Honestly, I don't even think that's what Dheeraj is doing. Actors have seen enough struggles in real life. They don't feel the need to react to every little thing. Not every situation deserves your energy."
On the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television' tag
Vinny also defended Dheeraj over the accusation on the show that he uses the tag of being the 'Shah Rukh Khan of television'. The actor said, "Dheeraj never called himself that. The audience gave him that title. Even Karan Johar once compared him to Shah Rukh Khan. Dheeraj has only ever said that he admires Shah Rukh and wants to be like him. There's a huge difference."
Vinny's biggest worry about the show
Asked about the emotional revelations contestants are expected to make on the show, Vinny admitted that aspect worries her the most: "My concern isn't about his secrets coming out. It's about him having to relive those moments all over again. Whenever life has thrown challenges at us, I have only tried to be his strength. That's all I want to continue doing. I am only worried about what he will go through."
Even though reality television has never been a favourite in the Dhoopar household, Vinny said the entire family is watching Lock Upp for the first time because of him."Our parents never watched reality shows before. Even we didn't because our son once picked up a slang word after watching one of these shows. Dheeraj immediately switched it off," she laughed, adding, however, that the entire family is hooked and proud to see the way he is on Lock Upp.
"He's not pretending to be someone else. As more layers of his personality unfold, people will understand him better," she concluded.
Hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, Lock Upp streams on Netflix.
