Hours before the grand finale of Lock Upp Season 2, former contestant Harshad Chopda addressed the controversy surrounding his decision to give up his finalist spot for Shivangi Joshi. The actor, who was the show’s first finalist before stepping aside for his close friend, said he does not see his decision as a sacrifice and believes it was simply an act of friendship.
Harshad Chopda says sacrificing finalist spot for Shivangi Joshi was not “big thing” ahead of Lock Upp finale
Speaking at a press conference after his elimination, Harshad was asked whether he felt he had sacrificed his place in the competition for Shivangi.
“Dont’t call it a sacrifice. It’s not a big thing. It’s a friend who does things for a friend. A friend in need is a friend indeed. It’s not a big deal. She needed something. It needed to be done. It’s done. Simple,” he said.
‘I keep my friendship above the game’
Harshad was also questioned about fellow contestant Yogesh Rawat’s remark that he helped Shivangi because he wanted to keep her at the top of the game. He was further asked about Shivangi’s reported statement that he acted out of guilt.
Responding to the speculation, Harshad made it clear that friendship was always his priority: “I keep my friendship on top of the game. It doesn’t matter to me. I do things for a friend.”
When told that Shivangi had suggested he made the decision out of guilt, Harshad disagreed but chose not to criticise her: “I think she understands that I win with this. I am that friend,” he said.
Harshad defends Shivangi over post-exit reactions
The actor was also asked about reports claiming that while other contestants were emotional after his exit, Shivangi was seen sleeping peacefully and allegedly remarked that she deserved the finalist spot more than him.
Harshad dismissed the claims and came to her defence: “No, no. It’s not like that. I am sure she must have been upset. It’s not like that.”
He also downplayed the reported “deserving” remark. He explained, “She must have said something in a weird state. I don’t think she means anything like that,” he added.
Lock Upp Season 2 heads to its finale
The grand finale of Lock Upp Season 2 premieres today on Netflix. Hosted by Riteish Deshmukh and Farah Khan, the reality show will see Shreya Kalra, Shilpa Shinde, Shivangi Joshi, Ram Kapoor and Yogesh Rawat compete for the trophy.
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2026 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.
