Mumbai, Mar 5 (IANS): Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui, who has been locked up inside the fearless reality show 'Lock Upp' hosted by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, is quite excited post joining the show and ready to face any challenges inside the jail.

He says: "I am not prepared for it at all. I was not thinking much and just went inside with an open mind. I have known pressure before, and I want to see how much of a pressure test this show will be for me. As an artist, I am here to entertain. Being positive and upbeat in my outlook is what I feel will help me sail through. Also, humour. Humour is a great shield against adversities."

Munawar has no apprehensions while competing with any contestant.

As he shares: "I'm quite excited, to be honest. There is no nervousness at all. I am thrilled to be inside 'Lock Upp' and meeting my other fellow contestants. The anticipation of spending time with them and competing alongside is building up and I can't wait to meet them all. It is not an easy thing for me and maybe more tough than other contestants. "

He further reveals the reason behind taking up the show and says: "I know that people might wonder as to why I decided to do a show where my thinking is not at par with another co-artist who is a part of the project. But that's not the case at all."

"What I found most interesting was the concept of the show. It is something that we've not seen before in India and I couldn't have refused it. I thought it would be very interesting to be a part of their project and see where it takes me. Sometimes, you are in a zone when you want to try different things and for me, 'Lock Upp' is something completely different from anything that I have ever attempted."

Munawar had a controversial past and in 2021 he was also accused of hurting the religious sentiments of people but he took it as a part and parcel of life.

On replying to how all these controversies affected him, he answers: "Of course, the things that put you in a spot in life affect you, and they did affect me too. They are a part of my life. But I didn't let that stop me. I kept on working. I kept making music, I did shows, I released more stand-up videos and continued doing what I wanted to do. In the past year itself, I got around 12 lakh followers, which goes to show that my efforts have paid off and I have been successful in entertaining my audience."

There's also a metaverse-based game planned around the show. While sharing about the same, he says: "The metaverse-based game will allow people to connect with the Lock Upp universe directly, which is very exciting. As a contestant, I would urge my fans to go to the 'Lock Upp' game and support me, or any other contestant that they like. "

'Lock Upp' streams on ALTBalaji and MX Player.