Lock Upp: Why Harshad Chopda's remark on gay men is bigger than any reality TV row

Published 4 July 2026 · india

Reality shows promise to reveal celebrities without the filters of scripted dialogues, fictional characters or carefully curated PR-approved statements. Sometimes that leads to vulnerable conversations, sometimes entertaining television, and occasionally, it exposes prejudices that continue to exist in society. Harshad Chopda's recent remarks about gay men on the reality TV show Lock Upp Season 2 fall into the last category. What it has triggered is turning out to be bigger than one actor, one reality show or one controversy. Read Full Story Foremost, the irony couldn't have been more glaring. Moments before his first instance on Tuesday's episode, Harshad, along with fellow inmates Shivangi Joshi and Shreya Kalra, was listening to queer content creator Sufi Motiwala speak about growing up feeling unsafe because of his identity. Sufi also discussed the pain of being around homophobes, who try to corner and bully him. The three comforted him, assured him that he was safe with them, and appeared genuinely empathetic. Minutes later, Harshad, while speaking to Shreya, seemed unaware of what homophobia is. While implying that he may be scared of gay people, he also seemed unaffected that his prejudice falls under the same category. He did hint that he may have had past bad experiences with gays, probably when he entered the industry. Shreya was seen trying to reason that not every gay person would hit on him. On Wednesday, while the inmates, as per the task, were discussing how a large percentage of people in India are still closeted homosexuals, Harshad was seen opening up to fellow actor and inmate Dheeraj Dhoopar about his first instance being that of fear around them. "I know of two or three people I am good with absolutely. Matlab meko unse darr bhi nahi lagta, kuch bhi nahi lagta (I am not scared of them).

I think maybe I just take longer... but my first reaction is fear," he said. He also shared an experience where he walked the ramp for someone but did not take any money for it, as the person was supposed to pay him at his home. He mentioned that he was uncomfortable and scared, and so would initially run away from such situations. Harshad, though, accepted that he had apologised to the concerned person for lying to avoid him. He said he didn't know how to deal with the situation. "I am not a confrontational person. Phattu zyada hoon (I am timid). Maybe it takes me longer... and mujhe darr...," he said while mouthing the next word to Dheeraj in silence. As soon as the episode aired, the clip quickly flooded social media. Many queer users also shared personal accounts of hearing similar remarks growing up, saying the conversation reminded them how easily prejudice is still brushed off as a 'personal opinion'. The internet also called the remark homophobic and tone-deaf, while his fans argued that his words had been taken out of context. That he never intended to offend anyone, and that perhaps personal experiences had shaped his views. But intent isn't the only issue here; the impact is. What makes the incident even more significant is the platform. Lock Upp is streaming on Netflix, making it accessible not just in India but across the world. Indian entertainment has spent years celebrating its growing global footprint, with creators proudly talking about international audiences embracing local stories. That also means our conversations, attitudes and biases travel just as quickly. A casual remark made inside a reality show house in India is no longer limited to domestic viewers. It becomes part of a much larger conversation about the values our entertainment industry and its artists reflect.