Actress Kangana Ranaut is returning to the reality show Lock Upp for its second season — not as host, but as 'Janata Ki Awaaz' (voice of the people), stepping in as jury for the show's first-ever Judgement Day termination episode. Her appearance alongside jailers Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh marks a significant shift in the season's narrative arc.

Kangana's New Role This Season

Unlike Season 1, where Kangana served as the show's host, her involvement this time is limited to a special jury appearance. She will join Farah and Riteish to amplify audience sentiment during the high-stakes termination round of Lock Upp: Sach ya Sazaa. The format itself has been overhauled, with a jailer-judge structure replacing the original template entirely.

What Kangana Said About Farah and Riteish

Lauding the two jailers, Kangana said the duo had brought the kind of authority the show demanded. 'Farah and Riteish have brought exactly the kind of authority this Lock Upp needed. They've been fair, fearless, and absolutely uncompromising while taking the contestants to task. And as 'Janata Ki Awaaz', I'm here tonight to take that one step further. The audience has been watching every move, and now it's time for their voice to be heard. Trust me, tonight's episode will leave everyone talking,' she said.

She had earlier added, 'This show has always been about owning your truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is. Joining Farah and Riteish as the jury or the Janta Ki Awaaz this weekend for Lock Upp: Sach ya Sazaa's very first termination, all I can say is every choice has a price!'

Why Kangana Is Not Hosting This Time

Producer Ektaa Kapoor addressed the change at the launch of Lock Upp Season 2, explaining that the entire format and vision of the show had been reimagined. '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,' Kapoor said.

The New Lock Upp Format

Season 2 of Lock Upp has replaced its original structure with a jailer-judge format, with Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh holding contestants accountable throughout the season. The two have reportedly maintained a no-nonsense approach, ensuring that no excuse or misrepresentation goes unchallenged. Notably, this is the show's first termination episode — a milestone that producers have positioned as a defining moment of the season.

What to Expect Next

With Kangana's appearance on Judgement Day bringing the audience's collective verdict into the arena, the episode is expected to set the tone for eliminations going forward. The show streams on ALTBalaji and MX Player, and the termination episode is anticipated to draw significant viewership given the buildup around Kangana's return to the Lock Upp universe.