Kangana Ranaut won't host Lock Upp on Netflix: Ektaa Kapoor

As anticipation builds around the new season of Lock Upp on Netflix, producer Ektaa Kapoor has finally addressed why former host Kangana Ranaut is not returning to the reality show. Kapoor revealed that the upcoming season has undergone a complete creative overhaul, making it vastly different from the original version that aired in 2022.

During the show’s launch today in Mumbai, Ektaa addressed the same and said, “The entire format of the show, the whole vision changed and the demographic, the kind of jailer-judge format we had. Nothing of the original show has been kept. Neither the jailer nor the host, so keeping anything of the old would not bring the fresh presentation of the branding. So I am sure Kangana would have understood.”

The second season of Lock Upp is set to premiere on Netflix on June 27, marking a major transition for the reality franchise,



which originally launched in 2022 on ALTBalaji and MX Player. While the makers are yet to officially unveil the host, reports suggest that actor Riteish Deshmukh and filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan are among the frontrunners to lead the revamped season.

Lock Upp Season 2 will begin streaming on Netflix from June 27. The shift to the global streaming platform is expected to give the reality show a wider reach and a fresh identity.

Ahead of the launch, Netflix generated buzz through an innovative promotional campaign featuring masked "qaidis" (prisoners) appearing in public places and across social media platforms.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms and created by Ektaa Kapoor, Lock Upp places contestants inside a prison-style setting where they compete in challenges, build alliances, confront rivals and often share personal secrets to stay in the game.