Lock Upp 2: 'OG' Kangana Ranaut Brings In Much-needed Spice To Farah Khan-Riteish Deshmukh's Snoozefest Hosting

The latest episode of Lock Upp 2, streamed on July 4 on Netflix, was perhaps the strongest so far. The ‘OG' host of the show, Kangana Ranaut, arrived to host a special segment on the judgment day. The actress-turned-politician was the original host of the show when it first premiered on MX Player in 2022.

In the latest episode, Kangana brought in the much-needed vigour that riled up contestants and gave the audience the spice that was missing from the otherwise insipid episodes. From lambasting Ram Kapoor over his entitled behaviour to calling out Yogesh Rawat's shamlessness, in just a few minutes, the actress proved that no one does powerful, fearless hosting like her. In the weekend ka vaar-sque episode, Kangana arrived bearing harsh reality checks for each contestant.

Known for not mincing her words, the actress questioned Riyaz over his tall claims of boasting 27 million followers and mentioned that some of them must be bots. She also made her ‘hate’ towards ‘men like’ Yogesh Rawat apparent for cheating in relationships and breaking women's hearts. She warned him not to wrong Akanksha Chaudhary. The actress also schooled Dheeraj Dhoopar for playing on the sidelines, comparing himself to Shah Rukh Khan. In one of the most popular clips from the episode, Kangana lashed out at Ram Kapoor for thinking of himself as unworthy of being on the show and acting entitled.

Amid her brutal digs, Kangana also heaped praises on contestants who have shown promise in the past week. She picked Suita Ahuja as the most honest contestant and saved Shreya Kalra from elimination after appreciating her honesty and fierce game. She also complimented Akanksha Chamola and Sufi Motiwala.

Also Read: Lock Upp 2: Akanksha Reveals The Reason Behind Her Divorce With Gaurav 

The most important thing that the audience realised after Kangana's appearance on Lock Upp 2 was the fire that was lacking in Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh's hosting. Neither of the hosts of the show has unleashed the fury on the contestants yet, and they appear to be mere umpires, reading out scores and explaining rules. While Riteish does come through on some instances, Farah Khan seems to be following a script and holds up a mirror only when someone else (like Kangana) initiates the conversation. The host, much like some contestants, also appeared to be playing a safe game, leaving viewers frustrated and wondering about the biases. While both Farah and Riteish did not stop singing praises of Harshad Chopda, they remained largely silent on the misdemeanour of Ram Kapoor and other contestants like Varun Yadav. Kangana Ranaut's appearance on the judgment day was the first glimmer of the unhinged, fearless and fiery Lock Upp that viewers of the first season remember and was largely missing from Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh's hosting.  

Also Read: Lock Upp 2: Farah Khan Or Riteish Deshmukh, Who Gets Paid More?