Aug 05, 2026 7:36pm IST
Harshad Chopda On Giving Up ‘Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa’ Finale Spot For Shivangi Joshi: ‘It Was A Childish Mistake’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Loyal audiences who follow Indian Television knows how reclusive Harshad Chopda is in his personal life. In his debut captive reality TV show, “Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa,” Chopda broke countless hearts with his decision to relinquish his final spot for Shivangi Joshi. Addressing why he maintained a low profile before making a comeback with “Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa,” he says, “I was deciding on certain things. It felt like I was making a life-changing decision.”
Chopda's lack of PR was something that was widely discussed by his fans on social media, especially when he entered this show. He opines, “You think I need a PR? I feel it works for me, the idea of not doing excessive PR.”
Reacting on how his fans shed buckets after his move before the finale, the actor says thoughtfully that he was more excited about the overall journey. He states, “I will tell you what happened. Once it was decided that I'm doing this show, I was thinking what was I looking for in this show? I look for purpose in every project I take up.”
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Chopda reasserts that the sole motive behind taking up the show was to reveal his real self to his fans without any inhibitions. “I wanted them to see my bad and ugly sides too…the gaali, galoch (abuses) also. I wanted to completely expose myself to my fans. I did not strategize for a win. My purpose was to bare my real side without any facade whatsoever,” he shares.
The actor stresses that he is aware of their disappointment. Given the competitive nature of such shows, fans go all out supporting their favorites. He highlights that this is his first time and he has learnt his lessons well. Chopda tells Variety India, “It (this decision) is out of my inexperience of not only not doing reality shows, but also not watching them. I never saw them. It was a childish mistake.”
He further says, “I will agree that what I did was a childish mistake. It's not a big deal. It's a big deal. It's a big deal (laughs). You are expected to win. I did not think about it. When I came out, I realized that was the expectation. I never knew I could do a reality show. Now, I feel I can survive in one. Secondly, now I know what is expected out of me on a reality show.”
Chopda reveals his fear of reality shows has vanished and he will remember all these lessons if he takes up another one. He also discusses the revelations he made on the show. His statement on being betrayed in love went viral and all a lot of people assumed it was actress Sriti Jha, his co-star from “Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava,” who cheated on him. He clarifies saying, “No, no. It was not Sriti. She is not the person I talked about. She is a very good friend and a great person."
Is “Bigg Boss” ever going to be in Chopda’s repertoire? “I have not thought about it but the only thing I know is that I am better in terms of confidence levels about reality shows. I don’t know if my confidence is misplaced but I am happy with the reactions I am getting from people. I feel like I can,” he says.
His fans were extremely concerned about the actor’s mental health after seeing him being guilt-tripped on the show. Chopda tells Variety India, “Touch wood, my fans are always like this. They have always understood that right now we don't think he's in a good state of mind. Or right now he's very happy. I always feel it.They have always done their best to understand me.”
Chopda candidly says he does not socialize much as he struggles to make friends easily. The actor is hopeful that this show has dispelled some of the misunderstandings around him like he’s arrogant or lives in a bubble. He says, “I'm just trying to protect myself. So, I think it was a good exercise to kind of explain to people. A lot of people used to feel, why is he behaving like this with me? Now, when I go and meet someone, they will have an idea. I know I am at fault. But then, they will have an idea that maybe that's why. Maybe, they will understand why I need five meetings before I truly open up.”
Talking about his learnings from reality TV entertainment, Chopda says he is still struggling to rate his worst or most disliked contestant in “Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa.” “I don’t know. I like everyone. They are all good people. I think a game has to be played. I am a serious person and do all things with sincerity. But the most important thing is to play, which I did not know. So, I was bound to fail but this will not happen again,” he affirms.
Chopda reacts with shock on hearing about Jennifer Winget’s marriage. He says, “Wow. Life has moved on so fast. In 25 days, so much has happened.
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