‘I’ll show you the door’: Riteish Deshmukh explodes at Yogesh Rawat over 'Lock Upp 2' TRP claims

Actor Riteish Deshmukh lost his patience with contestant Yogesh Rawat on the reality show ‘Lock Upp’ after the latter claimed that his eviction had negatively impacted the show’s TRPs and that his return was forced due to public demand.

Riteish, who appears as a jailor alongside host Farah Khan in the second season, confronted Yogesh over what he described as an arrogant attitude. He questioned the contestant’s belief that the show’s success depended on his presence and reminded him that no individual contestant was bigger than the platform.

The actor also made it clear that eliminations on the show are decided through tasks and not by personal choices of the hosts, mentors or the streaming platform. 

Riteish questions Yogesh’s TRP claims

The confrontation took place after Yogesh, following his re-entry into ‘Lock Upp 2’, told fellow contestants that his eviction had triggered a massive reaction from fans and allegedly caused the show’s ratings to drop.

Speaking to Akanksha Choudhary, Pamala Serena and other inmates, Yogesh claimed that hashtags demanding his return had trended online and suggested that the makers brought him back because of the audience response.

Riteish later addressed the comments and criticised Yogesh for the way he presented himself.

Riteish said, “I was listening from outside. You said, ‘No, Yogesh, no Lock Upp?’ What do you think? This show is here because of you? ‘Inhoney mujhe bahar kiya toh ye khabar leak ho gayi toh mere fans ne dhajjiya uda di (‘They threw me out. This news got leaked. My fans shredded them to pieces.) That’s why I was brought back.’”

He further questioned whether Yogesh had any evidence to support his claims about the show’s TRP falling because of his absence.

“Understand one thing, we are getting whatever you are saying. In what attitude are you talking and what you trying to convey? The TRP fell because of you? Are you counting the TRP?”

‘Did I take you out? Did Netflix take you out?’

Riteish reminded Yogesh that his elimination was a result of a task inside the show and not a personal decision taken by anyone associated with the production.

He asked the housemates who had eliminated Yogesh, after which they pointed out that Dheeraj Dhoopar had removed him following a task.

Riteish then asked, “Did I take you out? Did Farah take you out? Did Netflix take you out? Dheeraj took him out. A task took place for it. Did the task happen or not? Was the task fair or not? When you say they come, Farah comes, Netflix comes, and this show comes.”

The actor stressed that contestants must take responsibility for their statements and understand the importance of respecting the format of the show.

“We are known for our work. We have seen the way you spoke,” he told Yogesh.

Riteish warns Yogesh about leaving the show

During the heated exchange, Riteish also told Yogesh that if he believed he was bigger than ‘Lock Upp’, he could choose to walk away.

The actor highlighted that even established personalities remain grounded despite their popularity, citing Amitabh Bachchan as an example.

“Amitabh ji har Sunday aate hain namaste karte hain baahar (Every Sunday, Amitabh ji comes outside and greets everyone with folded hands). Fans come from all over the world to see him. They’re grateful. If you feel you don’t want to stay here, then this time, I’ll leave the choice to you. If you think you should leave, I will show you the door, my friend," he said.

Riteish also mentioned co-contestant Ram Kapoor’s humility, pointing out that even successful actors do not consider themselves bigger than the platforms that give them opportunities.

What did Yogesh Rawat say after returning to ‘Lock Upp 2’?

After making his comeback on the show, Yogesh claimed that his eviction became a major talking point among viewers and that fan reactions forced the makers to bring him back.

He told the other contestants, “These people evicted me and the news got leaked. My fans shredded the Internet to pieces. ‘Bring back Yogesh,’ ‘Unfair Lock Upp’, ‘No Yogesh No Lock Upp’ trending globally number one. So they had to bring me back.”

When Pamala Serena questioned whether the show was actually number one, Yogesh said it was before his elimination but suggested that his exit affected its popularity.

Akanksha then asked whether the TRP had fallen, to which Yogesh replied that it had and added that it would rise again after his return.

He also claimed that he had initially considered refusing the opportunity to re-enter the show.

“They eliminated me once just for their fun. Then asked whether I can re-enter. Should I keep insulting myself?”, said Yogesh.

About ‘Lock Upp’ Season 2

The second season of ‘Lock Upp’ features 14 inmates, two jailors and one lock-up, with contestants competing over a six-week period. The format requires participants to complete tasks and earn in-game currency needed for essentials, privileges and supplies.

The current season includes contestants such as Shilpa Shinde, Akanksha Choudhary, Ram Kapoor, Shreya Kalra, Shivangi Joshi, Harshad Chopra, Dheeraj Dhoopar and Varun Yadav, popularly known as Laila.

The first season of the reality show premiered in 2022 with Kangana Ranaut as host. Karan Kundrra served as the jailor, while Munawar Faruqui emerged as the winner.

(With IANS inputs)