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Munawar Faruqui on being caged in ‘Lock Upp’

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Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, who has been locked up inside the fearless reality show ‘Lock Upp’ hosted by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, is quite excited post joining the show and ready to face any challenges inside the jail.

He says: “I am not prepared for it at all. I was not thinking much and just went inside with an open mind. I have known pressure before, and I want to see how much of a pressure test this show will be for me. As an artist, I am here to entertain. Being positive and upbeat in my outlook is what I feel will help me sail through. Also, humour. Humour is a great shield against adversities.”

Munawar has no apprehensions while competing with any contestant.

As he shares: “I’m quite excited, to be honest. There is no nervousness at all. I am thrilled to be inside ‘Lock Upp’ and meeting my other fellow contestants. The anticipation of spending time with them and competing alongside is building up and I can’t wait to meet them all. It is not an easy thing for me and maybe more tough than other contestants. “

He further reveals the reason behind taking up the show and says: “I know that people might wonder as to why I decided to do a show where my thinking is not at par with another co-artist who is a part of the project. But that’s not the case at all.”

“What I found most interesting was the concept of the show. It is something that we’ve not seen before in India and I couldn’t have refused it. I thought it would be very interesting to be a part of their project and see where it takes me. Sometimes, you are in a zone when you want to try different things and for me, ‘Lock Upp’ is something completely different from anything that I have ever attempted.”

Munawar had a controversial past and in 2021 he was also accused of hurting the religious sentiments of people but he took it as a part and parcel of life.

On replying to how all these controversies affected him, he answers: “Of course, the things that put you in a spot in life affect you, and they did affect me too. They are a part of my life. But I didn’t let that stop me. I kept on working. I kept making music, I did shows, I released more stand-up videos and continued doing what I wanted to do. In the past year itself, I got around 12 lakh followers, which goes to show that my efforts have paid off and I have been successful in entertaining my audience.”

There’s also a metaverse-based game planned around the show. While sharing about the same, he says: “The metaverse-based game will allow people to connect with the Lock Upp universe directly, which is very exciting. As a contestant, I would urge my fans to go to the ‘Lock Upp’ game and support me, or any other contestant that they like. “

‘Lock Upp’ streams on ALTBalaji and MX Player.

Bollywood

Actor Imran Khan gets major relief as Bombay HC stays ‘Leave India’ notice

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Bollywood actor Imran Khan secured interim relief from the Bombay High Court on Tuesday as the court stayed the implementation of a ‘Leave India’ notice issued against him by the Centre.

A division bench of the High Court, hearing Khan’s petition challenging the notice, directed that no coercive action be taken against him until the next hearing.

The court also stayed the operation of the impugned notice, which had required the actor to leave India by October 28.

During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG), appearing for the Centre, sought time and requested that the matter be adjourned until next week.

The ASG also gave a verbal assurance to the court that no punitive action would be initiated against Khan in the meantime.

Taking note of the submissions, the court scheduled the next hearing for November 2 at 3 p.m. and granted interim protection to the actor by keeping the notice in abeyance until then.

The controversy stems from a notice issued to Khan following his participation in a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Authorities alleged that Khan violated provisions of the Foreigners Act by taking part in a political demonstration despite not being an Indian citizen.

Khan, however, challenged the action before the High Court, arguing that the order was arbitrary and violated principles of natural justice. In his petition, he contended that he was given only 14 days to leave the country without any prior inquiry, show-cause notice, or opportunity to present his case.

The petition further stated that the protest was held at a location that was not designated as a restricted area and that Khan had not breached any barricades or violated any law during the demonstration.

According to his plea, he was in the process of leaving the venue when he was suddenly surrounded by members of the media and subsequently detained.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), in its order, accused Khan of violating the Foreigners Act by participating in the protest despite holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status rather than Indian citizenship.

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BB 20: Qazi Touqeer recalls sharing a room with Arijit Singh during struggling days before ‘Fame Gurukul’ win

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Singer Qazi Touqeer has recalled his early days with singer Arijit Singh, sharing memories of their friendship that began on the reality show ‘Fame Gurukul’ in 2005.

During a conversation in the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ house, Qazi, who is participating in the show, spoke about his bond with Arijit.

He recalled how they shared a room after being selected for the singing reality show 20 years ago. The two were teenagers at the time, beginning their journeys in the music industry, long before Arijit went on to become one of India’s most celebrated playback singers.

He also promised Gullu that he would get him front seats of Arijit Singh’s concert after Bigg Boss season 20 gets over.

Qazi and Arijit Singh’s friendship recently came into the spotlight after the latter publicly cheered for Qazi following his entry into the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ house. Taking to his private X account, Arijit had written, “I will have to watch Bigg Boss for the first time because apna rockstar Qazi hai udhar.”

Qazi has also spoken warmly about Arijit on earlier occasions. During a recent visit to Arijit’s hometown in West Bengal, Qazi shared glimpses of their reunion, with the two seen riding a scooter, meeting locals and playing cricket.

Recalling their journey from ‘Fame Gurukul’ to the present, Qazi said they were teenagers when they first met and remained teenagers at heart even in 2026. He described Arijit as someone driven by pure passion, adding that he had no insecurity or jealousy and was genuine in his approach to life and music.

Qazi and Arijit participated in ‘Fame Gurukul’ in 2005. Qazi won the competition alongside Ruprekha Banerjee, while Arijit finished sixth.

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Bollywood

Wamiqa Gabbi says prosthetics made her ‘forget’ her real appearance while playing Jyoti Nikam in ‘Prahaar’

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Actress Wamiqa Gabbi has opened up about her experience of wearing prosthetics to play 50-year-old Jyoti Nikam in her 30s, recalling how she couldn’t stop staring at herself in the mirror after the transformation.

Wamiqa said the process of watching her face change in the makeup chair made the character feel more real.

“The first time I saw myself in the mirror after the prosthetics were done, I couldn’t stop staring! It was such a strange feeling because I knew it was me, but I couldn’t quite recognise the person looking back. What I really enjoyed was the entire process of getting there,” Wamiqa, who has showcased her prowess in films such as Bhooth Bangla, and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do to name a few, told media.

She went on to describe the role as a unique acting experience that allowed her to explore a side of the craft she had not experienced before.

“You sit in the makeup chair, watch your face slowly change, and somewhere along the way, the character starts feeling more real to you. There were moments when I’d forget how different I looked until someone showed me a picture from the set,” said the actress.

For the star, playing Jyoti Nikam was a unique experience.

“Playing Jyoti Nikam was a very different experience for me, and I’m glad I got to explore a side of acting that I hadn’t experienced before.”

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is a legal drama film directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the banner of Maddock Films.

It also stars Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Lalit Prabhakar, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher. The film explores Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam’s role in legal battles surrounding the 1993 Bombay bombings and 2008 Mumbai attacks.

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