Production designer and filmmaker Omung Kumar recently spoke about the set design of Netflix’s upcoming reality show Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa. In an interview with India Today, he said that from the outset, he aimed to create a prison environment that looked very different from anything audiences had seen before, giving the show a distinct visual identity.
Kumar explained that while he drew inspiration from real prisons and his experience working on Sarbjit, he consciously avoided the usual grim and claustrophobic prison look. Instead, he imagined a more modern, stylised space suited to today’s audience.
“We’ve seen in news channels and photographs how grim prison cells are, with gutters and insects and all of that. We didn’t want that. We didn’t want Sarbjit’s gritty set. We wanted a swanky set for today’s generation, something that would go worldwide because it’s Netflix, something that’s unbelievable,” the 58-year-old said.
The Mary Kom director said the goal was to make the prison feel grand and larger than life. “The moment the idea came to me, I said I wanted a double-storey height. I wanted railings throughout and a huge fan with light coming through. I wanted movement. I think like a director, an inmate, a viewer and even the host. I keep asking myself, ‘What more can I give them?’” he added.
While the set has a stylish appearance, he noted that every detail has been designed to psychologically affect the contestants.
“Lock Upp is a format that plays with your mind. You’re confined to one place for six weeks or two months. The cells are small and the beds almost touch the bars. We wanted that feeling of restriction,” he explained.
Kumar also revealed that certain design choices carry symbolic meaning. One example is a bright yellow sofa placed amid the otherwise grey, black and red interiors.
“Everything else is hard and rough, so I wanted one comfortable sofa and wondered who would end up using it. Eventually, it might become a favourite spot for some contestants,” he said.
He added that the colour scheme was carefully chosen to match the show’s overall concept and to differentiate it from his earlier reality project, Bigg Boss. His aim, he said, was to give Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa its own visual identity.
“I’m very proud of this set because it’s a very swanky-looking place. We haven’t used too many colours. It’s mostly grey and black with hints of red. The challenge was how to mute everything and still maintain the flavour,” he said.
He also mentioned that touches of yellow and black warning stripes were added later for visual contrast.
The show introduces a unique twist in its format, as contestants will not have access to a kitchen. Instead, meals will be delivered through an automated system, with food allocation tied to the tasks they complete and the truths they reveal.
“There’s no cooking here. The food will come through a machine. How much food they get depends on what truths they tell and what they earn,” Kumar said.
The set, built from scratch over two months, involved around 150–200 people and features over 90 cameras, both visible and hidden.
“Every corner has to be captured. It’s a larger-than-life project,” he said.
The house also includes a special “jailer’s den” for hosts Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh, equipped with monitors to observe the contestants.
“It’s their domain. Farah and Riteish will be sharing that one chair, or maybe not, and might even fight over it. I don’t know. They are also interesting characters. There are monitors all around for them to closely watch the inmates, maybe call them in and scold them. So this is their room, and they can have fun there,” he said.
Asked whether the hosts contributed ideas for the space, Kumar said, “Not right now, they will also be surprised to see what I’ve done. It’s in a neutral space but still has a sense of style.”
The prison cells are intentionally uncomfortable, with rooms for two, three, and four contestants, and beds placed close to the bars to intensify the feeling of confinement.
“People asked me if beds touching the bars would work. I said, ‘No, we want that craziness.’ We removed walls in some places to create different combinations. The uniforms also have touches of red and black. Since the jail is so confined, they will feel suffocated and want to escape. It’s the only place where there are beds and a sofa outside; everything else is hard surfaces, making it uncomfortable to rest,” he said.
Even the bathrooms are designed to create tension, with 14 contestants sharing just four washrooms.
Outside the jail, contestants will have access to a gym, basketball court, and activity zone, though Kumar hinted that several surprises have been kept under wraps.
