Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa’s Harshad Chopda: I’m somewhere between a red flag and a green flag
For someone as private as Harshad Chopda, making his non-fiction debut with a captive reality show like Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa meant stepping far outside his comfort zone. He entered with one clear intention: to let audiences see him beyond the actor. He says, “My intention was to show my true self. Otherwise, I prefer to be in my own space and that’s how I’ve always lived. I never entered with the thought of winning. Instead, letting people see the real me was my idea of winning. If I ever do another reality show, I’ll enter with the goal of winning.”
Shivangi Joshi on her Lock Upp journey, her bond with Harshad Chopda and navigating the unexpected emotions and challenges of reality television.
‘I didn’t feel I was doing anything extraordinary’That instinct shaped one of the biggest decisions of his stint: giving up his first finalist position to his Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 4 co-star Shivangi Joshi. He says, “I didn’t feel I was doing anything extraordinary. I simply did what felt right at that moment. Nobody guilt-tripped me into doing it. I genuinely wanted to do it and I’m still happy with that decision. Only after coming out did I realise what people expected from me. I believe a friend who isn’t there for you when you need them isn’t really a good friend.”‘Imperfections are part of who we are’His emotional reactions became another talking point, with viewers comparing him to the character Kabir Singh and debating whether he was a ‘red flag’ or a ‘green flag’. He says, “I’m not the Kabir Singh type. I get angry like everyone else, but only after enough provocation. Main aise hi gussa nahi karta… paagal thodi na hoon. Mujhe gussa bhi der se aata hai aur samajh bhi der se aati hai. As for being a red flag or a green flag, maybe I’m somewhere in between. Nobody is perfect, and imperfections are part of who we are.”The support he showed Shivangi also led people to wonder if there was more to their equation, but Harshad keeps it simple. He says, “We’re friends and that’s all we are. I wish the best for her. That’s all there is to it.”‘I have far more confidence in myself now’The experience also changed the way he sees himself. He adds, “I’ve realised I’m capable of much more than I thought. I have far more confidence in myself now. I also realised I can get along with people I once thought I never could. That surprised me. Having said that, acting is still my first love, and I believe that’s where I’m best utilised.”His tendency to wear his emotions on his sleeve, including breaking down in tears, was perhaps the side of himself he was least comfortable with. He says, “Honestly, I wish I hadn’t been as emotional as I was on the show. I’m emotional in real life too, but I’ve learnt how to live with it without letting it affect me or the people around me. I don’t think I’ll be this emotional next time. It was a little too much. Yeh kisi par bhi suit nahi karta.”
