Cinema VinesNetflix’s reality‑drama Lock Upp Season 2 has entered its semi‑final week, and the buzz has shifted to the relationships that have formed in the house. After a wave of twists saw contestants returning and others eliminated, two former participants—Sufi Motiwala and Dheeraj Dhoopar—sat down with the press to discuss their experience and to address the rumours swirling around the on‑screen pairing of Harshad Chopda and Shivangi Joshi.
Both Sufi and Dheeraj were eliminated after the show’s latest eviction round. In a press conference held in Mumbai, they were asked why they had not been as visible as other contestants. Dheeraj explained that he had not engaged in the frequent fights that often dominate the narrative. He said, “I evicted Yogesh because I had the power. Akanksha Chaudhary should’ve fought with me. If I were the one to vote Harshad out, Shivangi should’ve fought with me. If their girlfriends don’t fight with me, I can’t force them to, right? Someone should fight with me for me to fight back.”
When questioned about the alleged romance between Harshad and Shivangi, Dheeraj offered a vague response: “To vo jo dikh raha hai, wahi hoga,” which he translated as “What you’ve seen must be true.” Sufi, on the other hand, was more dismissive. He stated, “No, they are not in love with each other. They are just over‑dramatic best friends,” adding that the couple had never spoken about love. He suggested that the “lovebirds” label was largely a product of editing and the influence of host Shilpa Shinde, who had repeatedly referred to the pair as such.
Both contestants also commented on the small gestures that fans have interpreted as romantic. When Shivangi gave Harshad a clip and he handed her a handkerchief, Sufi downplayed the moment, saying, “We would all do this. I also have memory tokens from everyone. It’s just cute, so all of this happens. Let them be, let them be cute, nice people.” He acknowledged that such exchanges are common in the house and that viewers might read too much into them.
The debate over the couple’s relationship has intensified since Harshad’s brief elimination, during which the pair exchanged tokens as a sign of remembrance. Some contestants have claimed that Harshad harbours feelings for Shivangi and that she may be using him for an advantage, while others insist the bond is purely platonic. The show’s producers have yet to confirm any official stance, leaving the audience to interpret the drama for themselves.
