Lock Upp Exclusive! Babita Phogat: Anjali Arora would listen to half a statement and react to that

Wrestler Babita Phogat was evicted from Kangana Ranaut’s Lock Upp recently. She has a point of view about Anjali Arora and Payal Rohatgi, among other contestants, that she could not talk about in the jail. However, during an exclusive interaction with OTTplay, Babita did mention about the incidents – about how neither Anjali or Payal would listen to others. She also shared her experience in the jail, how Karan Kundrra gave her a wake-up call and more. Excerpts…

Did you get what you expected from Lock Upp?

Not at all. We were tortured 100 times more than expected. We didn’t get clothes, there were washroom issues and we had to even fight to get water on the show.

How did you deal with not getting hot water?

I have a habit of drinking hot water in the morning. We would wake up and were forced to drink cold water so early in the morning. There was only matka water which is cold. I didn’t expect to be tortured to that extent.

Do you think your voice was cut down in the house?

Not really. Nobody tried to cut down my voice. I wouldn’t allow that. Actually, I took a lot of time in trying to understand the show. I had seen reality shows on TV before but Lock Upp was completely different from those shows. It was a fresh experience for me. I made my debut on a reality show and the one which was of a different level altogether. I took so many clothes for the show but then got to know that I can take only three items on the show. That was a shocker.

We saw you trying to speak but everybody else was so loud that you couldn't speak completely in matters. Was that the case?

I was actually trying to understand people and their journeys. What you saw on the outside and what we witnessed on the inside was completely different. I wanted to know people’s thought process before approaching them. I would react that way. I have a habit of listening to and understanding the whole situation before reacting. When you react to only half a statement, that makes you look stupid. There, Anjali (Arora) was like that. She would listen to half a statement and complete the other half by herself. I don’t think it’s a good practice. I approached the show as Babita Phogat, not another personality. I took some time to understand and react. By the time that happened, I was evicted.

Wouldn’t you call this just another perspective? People on reality shows usually keep their point before listening to what the other person has to say. Did you not take that approach?

I would like to add that people want to be seen which is why they are behaving in this manner. One person would speak and the other would also speak. Nobody listened to the other person. You can keep a point of view after listening to someone, right? Here, people are just keeping their point of view without trying to understand what the other person wants to convey. They don’t know if the other person is agreeing or disagreeing with them. I witnessed this. People would make groups and pounce on the other person. They wouldn’t listen or let them speak. They know what the camera needs. That is their expertise. I come from a different field so I took my time to understand the format of the show.

How did your fans react to your journey on the show?

I didn’t check social media. I haven’t even followed Lock Upp closely yet. I’m currently busy with my baby. Staying away from him for a month was very tough.

How did he react on seeing you?

I’m actually playing with him. He’s just a year old, right? He actually gave me a very confused look the first time around. He behaved like he knew me but couldn’t place a finger about who am I. It was painful for me to see him struggle to recognize his own mother. He took some time but now he knows who am I because he sees me in the clothes I used to wear.

Do you think you will be friends with Payal even outside the house?

We didn’t become good friends per say. More than a friend, she was a team leader and I simply sat down and discussed things with her. I understood where she came from, even if I don’t support it. I didn’t like it that everyone went against Payal in the house. It wasn’t a good feeling to see the whole house go against one woman. I had a soft corner because of that but later I realized through the jailor Karan Kundrra that there were a few instances when I should have reacted and taken a stand for myself. By the time that happened, it was too late for me. We used to disagree a lot. I would tell her everything. She was also among those who didn’t listen to others and did what she felt like.

You suggested Payal and Sangram's wedding in the Lock Upp. If you were unmarried and had the option to get married in Lock Upp (before knowing about Sara Khan and Ali Merchant’s failed wedding), would you have done that?

Absolutely. I don’t have a problem. My thought process is that if you have enough trust in each other, then the relationship will cross milestones. If you break a relationship after listening to an outside voice, that is the biggest idiocy you can do. Many people will say many things. Whether you get married on a reality show or not, people will have things you say about and to you. It is about your own mentality. Whether you listen to the outside voice or put the faith in your relationship defines where your marriage will go.

If you had the opportunity to go back in the house, would you?

Definitely. I would go for sure. I would react this time around and everyone will get to see what Babita felt on the show.