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Dheeraj Dhoopar says evicting Yogesh Rawat was part of his game: ‘Why didn’t Akanksha Choudhury fight with me?'

Yogesh Rawat reentered the reality show Lock Upp after he won in a task against Dheeraj Dhoopar. Check out what Dheeraj said.

Published on: Jul 28, 2026, 06:10:28 IST
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Dheeraj Dhoopar was evicted a week before the finale of the reality show Lock Upp Sach ya Sazaa. The actor was often told that he is not visible enough on the show and did not voice out his opinions enough on the show. In an exclusive conversation with HT, Dheeraj spoke about terminating Yogesh Rawat and Harshad Chopda in the past and why he owns his game.

Dheeraj on his Lock Upp journey

Dheeraj Dhoopar has commented on Yogesh Rawat reentering the show.
Dheeraj Dhoopar has commented on Yogesh Rawat reentering the show.

Talking about his journey, Dheeraj said that he wanted to be his true self on the show and said, “When I entered the show, I said to everyone that I am not here to play the game but to change the game. Nowadays in reality shows, the whole perception is to fight with each other using abusive words. But I was there to own my truth and this is the person I am, even in my real life. I am not going to pick fights. I saw a few episodes after returning and was shocked to see how some of them are fighting, like Shilpa Shinde, Shreya Kalra and Akanksha Choudhary… unko humesha chilla ke baat karna hain (always shouting at others), using abusive words. I am not that.”

Dheeraj said that several contestants in the show from the reality tv background have been conditioned and knew when to say what so that it would trend on social media. “Yogesh wasn't playing his game when Akanksha went out to the secret room. After that when he is coming back, he is showing this anger towards me. His anger I understand that he wants to challenge me but why is Harshad so obsessed with me? Jab ki Harshad aur Shivangi ko maine baar baar bola hain ki main kaha stand hota hoon tum dono ke beech mein. I cannot be their second priority, so I have all the reasons to vote him out when he is not even playing his game and playing for Shivangi!”

Lock Upp, hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, streams on Netflix from Saturday to Thursday at 8 pm. The winner of the show will take home prize money of 1 crore.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das

Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha

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