Bigg Boss 11 winner Shilpa Shinde has been facing intense backlash over her remarks about fellow contestant Shivangi Joshi’s personal life during her stint on Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa. Amid the growing criticism, actor Jannat Zubair has stepped forward to defend her close friend Shivangi, saying that attacking a woman’s character should never be reduced to entertainment.
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From alleging that Shivangi was romantically involved with several of her male co-stars to making an insensitive comment about her virginity, Shilpa’s statements have sparked widespread outrage on social media. Jannat took to her Instagram Stories to stand by Shivangi and slam the personal remarks made about her on the reality show.
“It’s strange how easily people choose to judge someone’s character without really knowing them,” she wrote on her Stories while sharing a picture of Shivangi from the show.
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Jannat continued, “I’ve known Shivangi for years, and I know the values she carries and the person she is. That’s why watching her being spoken about this way doesn’t sit right with me. You can disagree with someone, call out their actions, or have a different perspective. But attacking a woman’s character should never become entertainment.”
The reaction comes after Shilpa made a series of remarks about Shivangi’s personal life during a conversation with fellow contestant Shreya Kalra on the show.
In one instance, Shilpa claimed Shivangi had multiple affairs with co-stars, saying, “Itne shows kiye ab tak aur jis show mein gayi hai uss show mein uss ladke ke saath affair raha hai. Abhi Kushal Tandon usse bada hai age wise dekho toh, uske saath bhi toh affair tha uska (She’s done so many shows, and in every show she’s been on, she’s ended up having an affair with the male contestant. Now, even Kushal Tandon is older than her if you look at the age difference, and she had an affair with him too).”
In another clip, Shilpa is heard commenting Shivangi’s virginity. In the video, Shreya jokingly asked Shilpa to mimic Shivangi, just as she was mimicking Harshad Chopda while the two were talking from a distance. While mimicking Shivangi, Shilpa said, “Main to bahut masum hoon. Mujhe to kuch bhi nahi pata, main virgin hoon. Main to shaadi ke baad bhi nahi karungi (I am very innocent. I don’t know anything. I am a virgin. I will not even do it after my wedding).”
As the clips began circulating on social media, several viewers condemned Shilpa’s remarks, with many expressing disappointment and many calling it “crass” and “disgusting”.
Hosted by Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa brings together actors, content creators and reality television personalities in a jail-themed house, where they compete in various tasks to avoid elimination. The show has become known for its intense drama and emotional “secret” confessions, which contestants often reveal to gain immunity or escape eviction.
So far, four contestants – Sunita Ahuja, Shreshtha Iyer, Riyaz and Madhuri Jain Grover – have been eliminated, while Shilpa Shinde entered the show as the first wildcard contestant. The series will stream on Netflix for six weeks, with the winner taking home prize money of ₹1 crore. New episodes premiere from Saturday to Thursday at 8 pm.
