In an emotional turn of events on Lock Upp Season 2, content creator Apoorva Mukhija—popularly known as ‘The Rebel Kid’—opened up about one of the darkest periods of her life. During a candid conversation with fellow creator Sufi Motiwala, Mukhija revealed that she struggled with suicidal thoughts following the India’s Got Latent backlash and credited Motiwala with helping her survive the ordeal.
Mukhija entered the reality show as a guest “informer” assigned by hosts Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh. While viewers anticipated conflict between the duo following past friction on The Traitors, the pair instead cleared up their misunderstandings and reconnected.
“I Wouldn’t Have Survived”: Apoorva Recalls Darkest Phase
While reflecting on their past bond and addressing critics who questioned their friendship, Mukhija broke down as she acknowledged Motiwala’s support during her legal and emotional turmoil.
“I have really missed you. I swear on my mom,” Mukhija expressed. “Every time someone asks me about you and they’re like, ‘How were you friends with him? He’s so mean,’ I tell them, ‘I would’ve killed myself if, at the time of the Latent fiasco, if I hadn’t had Sufi’. I wouldn’t have been able to get through that. You were the only person with me. You saved my life.”
Mukhija elaborated that she was not dating anyone at the time and felt isolated as public outrage grew following the show. She noted that Motiwala stood by her consistently without expecting anything in return.
Sufi Reflects on Their Friendship
Visible moved by her admission, Motiwala urged her not to talk like that and shared his own perspective on their bond:
“Don’t say that. I will tell you the truth, bro,” Motiwala replied. “That one year was the most favourite year of my life when we were friends. I finally felt like I had a social circle in Bombay. I felt like there was someone I could go to whenever I wanted. And I genuinely missed you a lot.”
Context Behind the Controversy
The emotional exchange references the fallout from a 2025 episode of Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent, where Mukhija featured as a panelist.
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The Backlash: Following controversial remarks made during the broadcast, police FIRs were registered against several panellists.
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Impact on Mukhija: Mukhija subsequently faced severe online harassment, including rape and death threats, leading her to temporarily step back from digital content creation.
Their reunion on Lock Upp Season 2 marked the first time both creators publicly reconciled after drifting apart following their appearance on Karan Johar’s reality show The Traitors.
