Farah Khan has worn many hats over the years — choreographer, filmmaker, YouTuber and now the host of Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa on Netflix. Bringing her trademark wit and no-nonsense attitude to the reality show, Farah believes the latest season’s biggest strength lies in its refreshingly unpredictable mix of contestants. In a chat with Mirror, she opens up about the casting that surprised even her, why she had very little role in selecting the inmates, and the toughest challenge of judging people she has known for decades.“The teams have done a fabulous job of getting these contestants,” Farah says, adding, “They are all so different and not the kind of people you regularly see on reality shows. Whether it’s Shivangi Joshi, Harshad Chopda, Ram Kapoor, Akanksha Chamola, Varun… It’s such a mixed bunch. Who would have thought Madhuri Grover would come on a reality show? Or Sunita Ahuja? Because of that, you got a completely different kind of content. They’re not just fighter cocks; they offer varied content.”Despite being the face of the show, Farah reveals she had very little involvement in the casting process. She says, “They had already started locking contestants much before they came to me. There’s a whole team that interviews and vets them. If I feel somebody would be good, I tell them, ‘Isko try kar lo,’ but this time I came on board much later, so I didn’t have much of a role in it.”The bigger challenge, she admits, is putting personal equations aside once the cameras start rolling. “That’s the most difficult part because I’ve known Ram Kapoor for so long. Not everyone knows that I choreographed the song Chunari Chunari in Monsoon Wedding (which features him). I have known Sunita and Govinda since childhood. Govinda’s sister was our neighbour, and Krushna Abhishek was born there. I know Madhuri and Ashneer Grover (her husband)… so many of them personally.” But familiarity doesn’t earn anyone special treatment. In fact, Farah insists it’s quite the opposite. She shares, “When I’m doing this job, I have to be honest to the job. In fact, I think the closer you are to me, the more you get it from me because I take that liberty. Ram really got it from me in the first week. He also took the liberty of talking back because he has known me for so long. But the following week, he apologised. He said, ‘I’m really sorry I spoke to you like that.’”For Farah, the rules are simple once she steps on stage. “When Riteish and I are standing there, it has to be about the show. Whoever deserves an earful has to get an earful. Personal relationships can’t come in the way,” she says.
