Ekta Kapoor, who is coming up with the sixth season of Naagin, says Indian folklore hasn’t been explored to the level it should have been

Sheetal

The content queen of television, Ekta Kapoor has announced not one but two shows—Naagin 6 and Lock Upp—in the past week. If the former is a fictional supernatural drama, then the latter is Ekta’s venture into serious reality shows with the theme being everything ‘real’.

And the producer didn’t bat an eyelid before signing controversy’s favourite child Kangana Ranaut as the host of Lock Upp.

She held two conferences for the shows, but Ekta’s dialogue, ‘Bahut galiyan padne wali hain’ remained the same! She adds, “But I was tired of playing safe. Covid has changed our lives completely and it has also compelled us to think out-of-the-box. I am behind the conceptualisation of this season of Naagin, and I know the idea of snakes and virus will be trolled. But I am not afraid. The previous two seasons, fourth and fifth, did not perform as well as the first ones, but still had good numbers. So I had no pressure to give a successful season. I had to try this for myself and bring something relatable for the audience.”

Perfect host

As for the other show, Lock Upp, Ekta believes there will be lot of FIRs and thus Kangana makes up for a perfect host! Ekta says, “I felt there was a need to take reality shows a notch up. So I found Lock Upp, which was proposed to me by two young boys. With Kangana on board and MX Player as digital partners, along with ALTBalaji, I think it’s going to be successful venture. Only I would like the FIRs to be directed to ALT and MX Player, and not at me or Kangana!”

About the show, she adds, “As many as 16 contestants will battle out for 72 days. In other words, it will be a jail that we all are afraid to end up in! Also, this one is not based on any of the foreign shows; it brings something original for the audience.”

The lead in Naagin 6, Tejasswi Prakash, will fight a virus as shown in the promos; Ekta says, “I don’t know why viewers don’t accept when we experiment and try to bring something new. The same thing if done by international content-makers will be lapped up. Indian folklore hasn’t been explored to the level it should have. As we try to do that and propose something new, one shouldn’t see the content as downright outlandish but as relatable.”

On partnering with Colors yet again and further short-listing the winner of Bigg Boss 15, Tejasswi Prakash as the lead heroine for Naagin 6, she adds, “I liked her in the show, not that I watched it but there were clips and videos circulating around. And then I also met her when I visited the Bigg Boss house. She has that reluctant hero vibe, which I wanted for the lead and her eyes are just amazing. Along with Naagin, we are also launching Parineetii, a show that depicts a beautiful yet complex hue of friendship.”

(Naagin 6 and Parineetii will premiere on Feb 12 and Feb 14, respectively, on Colors)

First look of Lock Upp

The first look of Lock Upp’s host Kangana Ranaut was released on Thursday with a new poster of the show. She posted it on social media and wrote, “Mere saamne ab sabko karna padega kneel!Iss badass jail mein hoga atyaachaari khel!” The actress also revealed that the teaser of the show will be out on Friday (February 11) while the show will premiere on AltBalaji and MX Player on February 27.

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