Srinagar, Sep 27: Nearly 21 years after he became a household name through the singing reality show Fame Gurukul, Srinagar-born singer Qazi Touqeer is once again at the centre of India’s reality television conversation – this time inside the Bigg Boss 20 house.
For Kashmiris who remember the early 2000s reality-TV boom, Qazi’s entry into Bigg Boss is more than another celebrity appearance. It is a return of a familiar face who once carried the aspirations of a generation of young Kashmiri singers onto a national television stage.
Qazi entered Bigg Boss 20, hosted by Salman Khan, when the season premiered on September 6. Within days, his flamboyant personality, humour, singing, dramatic reactions and repeated “I am a Rockstar, baby” catchphrase made him one of the most discussed contestants of the season.
His performance even earned a special mention from Salman Khan during the first Weekend Ka Vaar, when the host called Qazi the “rockstar” of the house and praised his performance during the opening week.
The Srinagar boy who won Fame Gurukul
Qazi Tauqeer first became a national sensation in 2005 when he participated in Sony Entertainment Television’s Fame Gurukul, one of the major singing reality shows of the period.
The show also featured Arijit Singh, who would later become one of Bollywood’s biggest playback singers.
Qazi and Arijit’s association has remained one of the most interesting chapters of the show’s history. Qazi went on to win the competition alongside Ruprekha Banerjee on October 20, 2005, while Arijit was eliminated earlier and finished sixth.
The success was driven not only by Qazi’s singing but also by his ability to connect with viewers. Despite repeatedly facing criticism from judges and spending considerable time in the danger zone, he continued to receive strong public support.
His victory became an important moment for Kashmir’s young artistic community, demonstrating that a performer from Srinagar could become a national television star.
From Fame Gurukul to Bollywood
After Fame Gurukul, Qazi Tauqeer continued working in music and entertainment and released music with Ruprekha Banerjee, including the album Qazi-Ruprekha Jodi No.1 and the song Yeh Pal. He has also worked across Hindi, Kashmiri and Urdu music.
His Bollywood association came years later.
In 2015, Qazi appeared alongside Katrina Kaif in the popular Afghan Jalebi music video from Kabir Khan’s film Phantom, starring Saif Ali Khan and Kaif.
The appearance nevertheless kept his face familiar to audiences who had grown up watching him on Fame Gurukul.
Arijit Singh connection comes full circle
The story of Qazi and Arijit Singh has taken an unexpected turn almost two decades later.
While Qazi won Fame Gurukul and Arijit finished sixth, both eventually followed very different trajectories in the music industry. Arijit went on to become one of India’s most successful playback singers, while Qazi remained associated with television, live performances and entertainment.
Inside the Bigg Boss house, Qazi has spoken emotionally about his old friendship with Arijit, recalling their musical association and long sessions together.
Arijit, meanwhile, has publicly supported his old friend’s return to reality television, with reports saying he referred to Qazi as his “rockstar.”
The connection has given Qazi’s Bigg Boss journey another layer: two singers who shared the same reality-TV stage in 2005 are now being discussed together again, with their careers having taken dramatically different paths.
Qazi becomes one of Bigg Boss 20’s talking points
Qazi’s Bigg Boss journey has been anything but quiet.
His unusual humour, theatrical reactions, singing and interactions with fellow contestants quickly generated viral clips. Hina Khan praised his ability to attract attention without depending entirely on fights, while actor Nasir Khan described Qazi as a contestant who was entertaining viewers and creating an impact inside the house.
Former Bigg Boss winner Gauahar Khan also reacted to the social-media craze around Qazi, describing the enthusiasm surrounding him as “Qazi Touqeer fever”.
But his journey has also brought controversy.
One of the biggest incidents came after Qazi staged what was presented inside the house as a health-related situation. The episode triggered criticism from fellow contestants and was later addressed by Salman Khan. In a subsequent episode, Salman staged his own apparent chest-pain episode as a prank directed at Qazi before explaining what he was doing.
The incident led to confrontations involving Qazi and other housemates, including Rhiti Tiwari.
Latest flashpoint: clash with Yung DSA
As the third week of Bigg Boss 20 unfolded, Qazi again found himself at the centre of a major house confrontation.
A captaincy task involving Qazi Touqeer and Yung DSA escalated into a heated argument. Isha Rikhi attempted to intervene and later became emotional over the incident. The episode has since become another major talking point around Qazi’s stint in the house.
The current Weekend Ka Vaar is also expected to revisit tensions surrounding Qazi, including the recent clashes involving Rhiti Tiwari and other contestants. The latest episode is scheduled for September 26, with the show continuing to air daily on Colors TV and stream on Jio Hotstar.
Qazi has also continued to provide lighter moments. On September 26, he completed 100 consecutive push-ups during an episode and later described the feat as merely his “warm-up.”
Kashmir watching its own star
Back in Srinagar, Qazi’s appearance has revived memories of the period when Fame Gurukul was among the most watched reality shows on Indian television.
For many in Kashmir, his return is being viewed through the prism of nostalgia – a performer who first entered living rooms across the valley as a young singer in 2005 is now back on national television before a new generation of viewers.
“Qazi is bringing back memories of our school and college days. We watched him on Fame Gurukul and it feels special to see someone from Srinagar again on such a big national platform,” said Faisal Chaku, a film enthusiast based in Srinagar.
“Whether people like his style or not, there is no doubt that Qazi has created a presence on Bigg Boss. People in Kashmir are following the show because they want to see how far he goes,” said Nijaya, a college student from Srinagar.
For Kashmir’s entertainment fraternity, his journey also reflects the changing relationship between the valley’s artists and mainstream Indian entertainment.
Qazi’s story has had several chapters – Srinagar, Fame Gurukul, the Arijit Singh connection, music, Bollywood appearances, years away from the mainstream and now Bigg Boss 20.
Nearly two decades after he first became a television sensation, the spotlight is once again firmly on Qazi Touqeer.
