I'm already having withdrawal symptoms: Riteish Deshmukh on Lock Upp ending
Ahead of the Lock Upp finale, Riteish Deshmukh said hosting the show felt like recreation rather than work. He said contestants' personal disclosures gave the format emotional depth and could encourage viewers to speak up.
For Riteish Deshmukh, saying goodbye to Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa hasn't been easy. As the reality show's finale approaches, the actor admits he's already experiencing "withdrawal symptoms" after spending weeks watching contestants fight, form friendships, break down and reveal some of the most personal chapters of their lives.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Riteish said hosting the Netflix reality show never really felt like work. "It's a format that I truly enjoy watching even as an audience. So I didn't even consider it work," he said, adding with a smile that while the four-hour daily commute to the set was exhausting, he has unexpectedly found himself missing the routine now that filming has wrapped up.
Having hosted a similar reality format earlier (Bigg Boss Marathi), comparisons were bound to come up. Riteish, however, doesn't believe in pitting the two experiences against each other. For him, contestants ultimately determine what a reality show becomes. Lock Upp also came with the added layer of participants having to reveal deeply personal secrets, which he believes gives the format its own identity.
Speaking about it further, he mentioned that the contestants' personal revelations have made a huge impact on him. Harshad Chopda, for instance, spoke about being sexually assaulted as a child, which prompted Riteish to have a conversation with his own sons. Other stories affected him even when he wasn't present on set. He recalled watching one such episode with his wife, Genelia Deshmukh, and finding himself unable to hold back his tears.
"I remember I was sitting at home and Ram was talking about something. I just couldn't stop myself from tearing up. You know, so it's really brave of each one of them to really own their secrets and come out in the open and speak about it," he said.
Riteish believes these conversations also allow Lock Upp to go beyond the usual reality-show drama. When contestants speak openly about abuse or trauma, he feels it could help someone watching at home understand that the shame doesn't belong to the victim. More importantly, he hopes such conversations encourage people to speak up and also help parents prepare younger people to recognise warning signs.
But being emotionally affected by someone's story and hosting a reality show are two different things. Riteish admits that finding the balance between the two can be tricky.He also revealed that Farah Khan tends to get more emotionally invested in the contestants than he does. He added that advice from the show's executive producer helped him figure out how he wanted to approach the job.
"He's got a lot of experience doing other shows, and he told me a lovely thing. He said there is a thin line between a host and the audience. So when you're hosting, be a host; don't react like an audience. But then, you also realise that people want you to react like an audience and not a host. They think that we are representing them. So we have to draw a fine line where we do that," Riteish explained.
That balance, he added, cannot come at the cost of empathy. As he said, "We think that we should show empathy towards each other. And as hosts, if we don't show it to them, then it's terrible. So, you know, there's always a slap on the wrist and sometimes a warm hug. That's how I played it this time."
Among the many moments this season, the 'Last Supper' episode remains Riteish's favourite. Watching the contestants come together while also confronting just how badly each of them wanted the trophy gave him an insight into how the competition had changed them. As fans would remember, the task also put friendships to test, especially Shivangi Joshi and Harshad's.
Riteish, however, feels viewers need to remember that the contestants have been living inside the show 24x7 for six weeks. Unlike audiences who watch an hour and return to their regular lives, contestants don't get to switch off. By this stage, he feels many of them are emotionally fragile, and the desire to win naturally affects relationships.
"This is a direct competition, right? People are here to win. It's just a question of how badly you want it. Let's understand they have gone through a lot. As audience, we do 10,000 things during the day. We come back, sit and watch one hour of it. They've been doing this 24-7 for the last six weeks," he said.
And then there is the other competition that has followed Lock Upp since its launch: Prime Video's Alliance. With both reality shows arriving around the same time, comparisons have been constant. Reacting to the same, Riteish said, "See, I don't think one should look at it as competition. I just feel there are two different formats coming at the same time. I also thought Kunal (Kemmu) is hosting it brilliantly. He's a very confident host, and I have enjoyed his flavour. So both are different, and have their own space to survive."
As for who he wants to see lifting the trophy, the jailer smiled and said, "I can't [pick]. I am rooting for Lockup. By now people have formed their own armies. They are rooting for their people and may the most deserving win."
Lock Upp will stream its finale tonight on Netflix.
For Riteish Deshmukh, saying goodbye to Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa hasn't been easy. As the reality show's finale approaches, the actor admits he's already experiencing "withdrawal symptoms" after spending weeks watching contestants fight, form friendships, break down and reveal some of the most personal chapters of their lives.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Riteish said hosting the Netflix reality show never really felt like work. "It's a format that I truly enjoy watching even as an audience. So I didn't even consider it work," he said, adding with a smile that while the four-hour daily commute to the set was exhausting, he has unexpectedly found himself missing the routine now that filming has wrapped up.
Having hosted a similar reality format earlier (Bigg Boss Marathi), comparisons were bound to come up. Riteish, however, doesn't believe in pitting the two experiences against each other. For him, contestants ultimately determine what a reality show becomes. Lock Upp also came with the added layer of participants having to reveal deeply personal secrets, which he believes gives the format its own identity.
Speaking about it further, he mentioned that the contestants' personal revelations have made a huge impact on him. Harshad Chopda, for instance, spoke about being sexually assaulted as a child, which prompted Riteish to have a conversation with his own sons. Other stories affected him even when he wasn't present on set. He recalled watching one such episode with his wife, Genelia Deshmukh, and finding himself unable to hold back his tears.
"I remember I was sitting at home and Ram was talking about something. I just couldn't stop myself from tearing up. You know, so it's really brave of each one of them to really own their secrets and come out in the open and speak about it," he said.
Riteish believes these conversations also allow Lock Upp to go beyond the usual reality-show drama. When contestants speak openly about abuse or trauma, he feels it could help someone watching at home understand that the shame doesn't belong to the victim. More importantly, he hopes such conversations encourage people to speak up and also help parents prepare younger people to recognise warning signs.
But being emotionally affected by someone's story and hosting a reality show are two different things. Riteish admits that finding the balance between the two can be tricky.He also revealed that Farah Khan tends to get more emotionally invested in the contestants than he does. He added that advice from the show's executive producer helped him figure out how he wanted to approach the job.
"He's got a lot of experience doing other shows, and he told me a lovely thing. He said there is a thin line between a host and the audience. So when you're hosting, be a host; don't react like an audience. But then, you also realise that people want you to react like an audience and not a host. They think that we are representing them. So we have to draw a fine line where we do that," Riteish explained.
That balance, he added, cannot come at the cost of empathy. As he said, "We think that we should show empathy towards each other. And as hosts, if we don't show it to them, then it's terrible. So, you know, there's always a slap on the wrist and sometimes a warm hug. That's how I played it this time."
Among the many moments this season, the 'Last Supper' episode remains Riteish's favourite. Watching the contestants come together while also confronting just how badly each of them wanted the trophy gave him an insight into how the competition had changed them. As fans would remember, the task also put friendships to test, especially Shivangi Joshi and Harshad's.
Riteish, however, feels viewers need to remember that the contestants have been living inside the show 24x7 for six weeks. Unlike audiences who watch an hour and return to their regular lives, contestants don't get to switch off. By this stage, he feels many of them are emotionally fragile, and the desire to win naturally affects relationships.
"This is a direct competition, right? People are here to win. It's just a question of how badly you want it. Let's understand they have gone through a lot. As audience, we do 10,000 things during the day. We come back, sit and watch one hour of it. They've been doing this 24-7 for the last six weeks," he said.
And then there is the other competition that has followed Lock Upp since its launch: Prime Video's Alliance. With both reality shows arriving around the same time, comparisons have been constant. Reacting to the same, Riteish said, "See, I don't think one should look at it as competition. I just feel there are two different formats coming at the same time. I also thought Kunal (Kemmu) is hosting it brilliantly. He's a very confident host, and I have enjoyed his flavour. So both are different, and have their own space to survive."
As for who he wants to see lifting the trophy, the jailer smiled and said, "I can't [pick]. I am rooting for Lockup. By now people have formed their own armies. They are rooting for their people and may the most deserving win."
Lock Upp will stream its finale tonight on Netflix.
For Riteish Deshmukh, saying goodbye to Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa hasn't been easy. As the reality show's finale approaches, the actor admits he's already experiencing "withdrawal symptoms" after spending weeks watching contestants fight, form friendships, break down and reveal some of the most personal chapters of their lives.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Riteish said hosting the Netflix reality show never really felt like work. "It's a format that I truly enjoy watching even as an audience. So I didn't even consider it work," he said, adding with a smile that while the four-hour daily commute to the set was exhausting, he has unexpectedly found himself missing the routine now that filming has wrapped up.
Having hosted a similar reality format earlier (Bigg Boss Marathi), comparisons were bound to come up. Riteish, however, doesn't believe in pitting the two experiences against each other. For him, contestants ultimately determine what a reality show becomes. Lock Upp also came with the added layer of participants having to reveal deeply personal secrets, which he believes gives the format its own identity.
Speaking about it further, he mentioned that the contestants' personal revelations have made a huge impact on him. Harshad Chopda, for instance, spoke about being sexually assaulted as a child, which prompted Riteish to have a conversation with his own sons. Other stories affected him even when he wasn't present on set. He recalled watching one such episode with his wife, Genelia Deshmukh, and finding himself unable to hold back his tears.
"I remember I was sitting at home and Ram was talking about something. I just couldn't stop myself from tearing up. You know, so it's really brave of each one of them to really own their secrets and come out in the open and speak about it," he said.
Riteish believes these conversations also allow Lock Upp to go beyond the usual reality-show drama. When contestants speak openly about abuse or trauma, he feels it could help someone watching at home understand that the shame doesn't belong to the victim. More importantly, he hopes such conversations encourage people to speak up and also help parents prepare younger people to recognise warning signs.
But being emotionally affected by someone's story and hosting a reality show are two different things. Riteish admits that finding the balance between the two can be tricky.He also revealed that Farah Khan tends to get more emotionally invested in the contestants than he does. He added that advice from the show's executive producer helped him figure out how he wanted to approach the job.
"He's got a lot of experience doing other shows, and he told me a lovely thing. He said there is a thin line between a host and the audience. So when you're hosting, be a host; don't react like an audience. But then, you also realise that people want you to react like an audience and not a host. They think that we are representing them. So we have to draw a fine line where we do that," Riteish explained.
That balance, he added, cannot come at the cost of empathy. As he said, "We think that we should show empathy towards each other. And as hosts, if we don't show it to them, then it's terrible. So, you know, there's always a slap on the wrist and sometimes a warm hug. That's how I played it this time."
Among the many moments this season, the 'Last Supper' episode remains Riteish's favourite. Watching the contestants come together while also confronting just how badly each of them wanted the trophy gave him an insight into how the competition had changed them. As fans would remember, the task also put friendships to test, especially Shivangi Joshi and Harshad's.
Riteish, however, feels viewers need to remember that the contestants have been living inside the show 24x7 for six weeks. Unlike audiences who watch an hour and return to their regular lives, contestants don't get to switch off. By this stage, he feels many of them are emotionally fragile, and the desire to win naturally affects relationships.
"This is a direct competition, right? People are here to win. It's just a question of how badly you want it. Let's understand they have gone through a lot. As audience, we do 10,000 things during the day. We come back, sit and watch one hour of it. They've been doing this 24-7 for the last six weeks," he said.
And then there is the other competition that has followed Lock Upp since its launch: Prime Video's Alliance. With both reality shows arriving around the same time, comparisons have been constant. Reacting to the same, Riteish said, "See, I don't think one should look at it as competition. I just feel there are two different formats coming at the same time. I also thought Kunal (Kemmu) is hosting it brilliantly. He's a very confident host, and I have enjoyed his flavour. So both are different, and have their own space to survive."
As for who he wants to see lifting the trophy, the jailer smiled and said, "I can't [pick]. I am rooting for Lockup. By now people have formed their own armies. They are rooting for their people and may the most deserving win."
Lock Upp will stream its finale tonight on Netflix.
