The heartwarming story of Arijit Singh supporting Fame Gurukul rival Qazi Touqeer on Bigg Boss 20.
IMAGE: Qazi Touqeer and Arijit Singh. Photograph: Kind courtesy Qazi Touqeer/Instagram
Key Points
- Arijit Singh, who finished sixth on Fame Gurukul in 2005, is supporting Qazi Touqeer, the show’s winner, after his entry into Bigg Boss 20.
- Despite Qazi Touqeer winning Fame Gurukul and Arijit Singh achieving massive success as a playback singer, their rivalry remained on stage, fostering a lasting friendship.
In the world of reality television, winners are usually remembered while the eliminated contestants fade away.
But the story of Qazi Touqeer and Arijit Singh has taken a different turn.
In 2005, Qazi defeated Arijit on the singing reality show Fame Gurukul, but we all know who turned out to be the superstar.
Nearly two decades later, Qazi has entered Bigg Boss 20 and Arijit is cheering him on.
Arijit’s Support for Qazi Touqeer
‘I will have to watch Bigg Boss for the first time because apna rockstar Qazi hai udhar,’ Arijit posted on his private X account, wishing his Fame Gurukul co-contestant well.
The message is striking because of what happened between the two singers at the beginning of their careers.
Qazi and Arijit were teenagers when they met as contestants on Fame Gurukul. The competition was intense.
Qazi won Fame Gurukul while Arijit finished sixth!
Rivals To Friends:
IMAGE: Qazi Tauqeer and Arijit Singh. Photograph: Kind courtesy Qazi Tauqeer/Instagram
The show’s outcome could have created a rift between two ambitious young singers.
Instead, something unexpected happened. The rivalry stayed on the stage while the friendship survived outside it.
Their subsequent careers took different paths.
Qazi went on to explore acting and music, including an association with the song Afghan Jalebi song from Phantom.
Arijit established himself as the country’s leading male playback singer.
Shared Memories,Mutual Respect
The irony of their journey is not lost on Qazi.
During a recent visit to Arijit’s hometown Jiaganj in West Bengal, Qazi shared glimpses of the two friends riding around the town on a scooter, meeting locals and playing cricket.
‘We were teenagers then, and now it’s 2026, and we’re still teenagers at heart. We just refused to grow up,’ Qazi said in a podcast while recalling their journey from the Mumbai reality-show days to his visit to Jiaganj, West Bengal.
Qazi described Arijit as someone without insecurity or jealousy and praised his passion for music.
His account of their cricket game offered another glimpse into their equation. Qazi recalled that Arijit was hit by the ball while bowling but continued playing. Later that evening, Arijit remained occupied with music practice and editing work late into the night.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
