Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 18 (ANI): When Qazi Touqeer walked into the Bigg Boss 20 house, many younger viewers probably had the same reaction: Who is he? But for those who watched reality television in the mid-2000s, his face and larger-than-life personality came with a very different memory.
Nearly 21 years after winning Fame Gurukul, Qazi is back in the reality-TV spotlight, and this time, it is his entertaining side that is sure making all the noise.
Qazi was only 20 when he became one half of Fame Gurukul’s winning ‘Fame Jodi’ with Ruprekha Banerjee on October 20, 2005. The duo each won Rs 50 lakh, a Sony Music contract and a Maruti Alto. The show also featured a young Arijit Singh, who was then at the beginning of his journey in music.
Qazi’s ‘Fame Gurukul’ journey was hardly a smooth ride. He found himself in the “danger zone” 10 times during the competition, putting him at risk of elimination repeatedly. But each time, viewers voted him back into the competition. Eventually, that same public support took him all the way to the finale, where he lifted the winner’s trophy alongside Ruprekha.
Now 41, Qazi has found himself in front of a completely new television audience as a contestant on Bigg Boss 20. When the season premiered on September 6, several names in the lineup were unfamiliar to younger viewers, and Qazi was one of them. His dramatic antics on the opening night drew mixed reactions, but it did not take long for him to become one of the housemates viewers were talking about.
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Inside the house, Qazi has leaned into exactly what made him memorable in the first place: his theatrical personality. Only this time, there is no singing competition or stage performance. There is simply Qazi being Qazi.
He has been switching between different personas, making jokes, reacting dramatically and often turning even ordinary situations into entertainment. At one point, he confidently attempted to explain Gen Z dating terms such as “situationship” and “benching” to fellow contestant and boxing champion Mary Kom. The clips went viral on the internet in no time, with fans turning clips into reels and reaction videos.
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His dramatic medicine episode became another talking point. After a task, Qazi loudly called for his medicine, leaving his housemates concerned. But when he reached the medical room, he told the doctor that there was nothing seriously wrong and that he was simply “playing the game”. The revelation was quite unexpected and left fans in stitches.
Even host Salman Khan appeared to notice his presence, calling Qazi the house’s “rockstar” during the first ‘Weekend Ka Vaar.’
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There is also something interesting about Qazi’s Bigg Boss journey. Fame Gurukul introduced audiences to a young singer who had the public firmly behind him. Bigg Boss, on the other hand, is allowing viewers to see the personality beyond the performer.
The Salman Khan-hosted reality show is available on JioHotstar and Colors TV. (ANI)
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