Munawar Faruqui says he didn’t want to lose to Payal Rohatgi in Lock Upp: ‘Don’t see her as a winner’

Munawar Faruqui and Payal Rohatgi were bitter rivals on reality show Lock Upp. In Saturday's finale, Munawar beat Payal to emerge as the show's first winner.

The first season of reality show Lock Upp came to a close on Saturday night with stand-up comic Munawar Faruqui emerging as the winner. Munawar edged out actor Payal Rohatgi for the win after tallying the most votes from the fans and also winning host Kangana Ranaut’s approval. In an interview after his win, Munawar said though he considered Payal strong competition, he didn’t want to lose to someone he doesn’t “see as a winner”.

Munawar Faruqui won the first season of Lock Upp while Payal Rohatgi was the first runner-up.

Lock Upp, which streamed on Alt Balaji and MX Player, is a captivity-based reality show featuring celebraity contestants. On Saturday night, when Kangana announced Munawar as the first contestant among those who made it to the top three, she also revealed that he received more than 18 lakh votes.

Speaking to Etimes moments after his triumph, Munawar said, “It’s a great feeling. I want to say thank you, in fact I want to distribute this gratitude to everyone. I am so happy. Everyone works hard but I guess I got people’s blessings too, which is why I am here.”

On the show, Munawar and Payal were arch-rivals and were mostly seen fighting. While Munawar attacked Payal for being a mean person, she called him a manipulator and someone who hid behind his friends. Talking about his competition in the jail, particularly Payal, the stand-up comic said, “I considered Payal strong competition but I always had this in my heart that such a person shouldn’t win who may or may not take that responsibility on going out. I am nobody to say if she can or cannot live up to that responsibility. But I always thought that the entertainment I provide to people, it’s better than my competition. So I was nervous that I don’t lose to someone who I don’t see as a winner.”

As part of his winnings from the show, Munawar will receive ₹20 lakh, a car, and an all-expense-paid trip to Italy. The stand-up comic said in interviews that he wanted to buy a car with the prize money but thankfully the show took care of it.