Farah Khan says Shivangi Joshi’s childhood abuse revelation was for sympathy; netizens slam the Lock Upp host

Farah Khan and Shivangi Joshi (Pictures via Special Arrangement)

Farah Khan has faced criticism on social media after suggesting that Shivangi Joshi may have revealed a deeply personal childhood experience on Lock Upp to gain sympathy from viewers. The filmmaker and reality-show host made the remarks during a conversation with former contestant Akanksha Chamola in her latest vlog, where they discussed the secrets and personal revelations made by contestants during the season.

Farah Khan talks about Shivangi Joshi's confession

During the conversation, Farah spoke about the emotional stories shared by contestants including Ram Kapoor, Harshad Chopda and Shreya Kalra, who had opened up about experiences of child abuse. She then suggested that Shivangi may have felt compelled to reveal a significant secret after watching other contestants share traumatic experiences on the show.

Farah said that while contestants were opening up about their deepest experiences, Shivangi perhaps realised that she needed to share something significant as well. She linked the timing of Shivangi's revelation to the growing focus on personal secrets inside the reality show, implying that the actor may have felt that simply participating in the show's tasks would not be enough to connect with the audience.

The remarks did not go down well with several viewers, who criticised Farah for appearing to question the authenticity of Shivangi's account. Many social media users argued that discussing an alleged childhood abuse experience for the sake of sympathy was an insensitive interpretation of a deeply traumatic personal experience.

Shivangi had opened up about the incident during an episode of Lock Upp, breaking down as she recalled being allegedly molested by a trusted family acquaintance whom her family treated like an uncle. She described how the man initially behaved inappropriately with her under the guise of teaching her to drive. She later recalled another disturbing incident when she was home alone, saying he tried to kiss and restrain her. Her parents eventually returned, and her father confronted the man.

Netizens call out Farah Khan

Shivangi had also credited fellow contestants, including Ram Kapoor and Harshad Chopda, with giving her the courage to speak about the painful experience she had kept to herself for years.

The controversy comes after Lock Upp concluded with Shreya Kalra emerging as the winner, while Shivangi finished as the second runner-up. Farah, who co-hosted the season with Riteish Deshmukh, has previously faced questions from viewers over allegations of bias during the show.

Farah's latest comments have now sparked another debate, with viewers questioning whether contestants' deeply personal experiences should be interpreted as a strategy for gaining sympathy on a reality show.