Shivangi Joshi, a contestant on Lock Upp Season 2, recently opened up about a difficult chapter in her family’s life on the reality show, hosted by Riteish Deshmukh and Farah Khan. She revealed that her father had fallen into severe debt after a business venture failed, leaving the family struggling to afford even basic meals.
Her emotional revelation soon started a debate online, with several social media users sharing her older interviews in which she had described her father as an army man. Others also pointed to her earlier comments about growing up in a large family home before moving to Mumbai, saying that those details contradicted her account of financial hardship.
‘Couldn’t Afford To Even Light The Stove’
Following this, Shivangi’s team issued a series of clarifications. Before getting to those, here’s a look at what the actor had shared on the show.
Shivangi explained that her father had entered the transport business with a relative after leaving the army. Although the business initially performed well, it eventually collapsed following a dispute, leaving him burdened with heavy losses.
“My father had a transport business with a relative, and initially it was great. Later, he dumped all the losses on my father after some issues. My father had to sell everything we had, and we were literally on the streets. We didn’t have the money to buy food, and a few relatives brought us bread and butter to survive on. We couldn’t afford to even light the stove,” she said.
She further revealed that her parents worked multiple jobs – including at a canteen, tailoring, and washing dishes – to support the family.
“They always felt ashamed about not being able to provide food to the family. I am the only one who earns in my family, and I take care of everybody. After going through that phase, I decided never to go through it again.”
Team Responds To Social Media Trolls
After a social media user resurfaced Shivangi’s earlier comments about her father’s military background alongside childhood photographs, her team clarified that there was no contradiction.
“Shivangi remembers exactly what she’s said in her interviews. What seems to have slipped past you is simpler: a person is allowed more than one chapter. Her father served, took voluntary retirement, then went into business. Army first, business later. Both true. That’s not a lie. That’s just a life you only knew half of,” read a post from her official account.
Another user questioned how a retired army officer receiving a pension could end up facing financial ruin and also expressed doubt that someone from a defence background would move into the transport business.
Responding to the criticism, Shivangi’s team said it is common for retired army personnel to transition into private businesses. “Ex-officers start businesses every single day.”
The team also addressed another accusation claiming Shivangi had fabricated both her financial struggles and her childhood molestation experience for sympathy.
“Imagine building an entire courtroom from behind a fake name and no face, appointing yourself judge, and handing down a verdict on a woman braver than your whole timeline. And ‘trophy mil gayi’? From where? The finale hasn’t even happened. You’ve invented a result that doesn’t exist to bait people into a biased narrative. lol, try harder. Free tip: when you won’t sign your own name to your words, you don’t get to lecture anyone about the truth. And for everyone else planning the same, take the hint. This account is done staying quiet. Bring lies, we’ll bring receipts, and you’ll leave cooked.”
‘Army First, Business Later’
In their final clarification, Shivangi’s team said that people often choose not to share certain aspects of their lives for years, and that revealing them later does not mean they were lying all along.
“A big house back in the hometown isn’t a plot twist. It’s called a family home; crores of Indian families have one. And a ‘secret’ is, by definition, something you didn’t say before. People leave things out of interviews for years. Sharing it later doesn’t make it fake; it makes it a secret. That’s what the word means. And there it is again, the ‘fixed winner’ narrative to rattle the audience. Genuine question: what’s your source? Because we’re the official Team Shivangi, and funnily enough, we never got that memo. It’s always easier to ask than to accuse. You picked accuse, on someone who did nothing but tell the truth. That’s on you, not her.”
Shivangi Recalls Being Molested As A Child
Shivangi recently opened up about a disturbing incident from her childhood involving her mother’s stepbrother.
She recalled that during a family gathering, he called her over, saying he wanted to kiss her forehead affectionately, the way her mother did. Instead, she alleged that he kissed her on the cheek and then on the lips against her will, leaving her deeply uncomfortable.
Shivangi said she immediately objected and tried to push him away, after which he allegedly pushed her to the ground. She added that her parents arrived moments later, intervened, and asked him to leave the house.