Former politician and BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla won Virender Sehwag-hosted Rise And Fall Season 2 on Friday. Shehzad defeated popular TV actors Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Gautam Gulati to lift the trophy and take home the Rs 35 lakh cash prize.
In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Shehzad looks back at his Rise and Fall journey. He also talks about his rivalry with Priyanka, his friendship with Swara Bhasker, and his ugly fight with Siwet Tomar.
Shehzad Poonawalla called himself an underdog while speaking about his Rise and Fall 2 journey. He said, “All the contestants on the show except one or two were like the OGs of the domain, so we were like the underdogs. Contrary to the perception that politicians are strong in most areas, one of them left in two weeks. Manish couldn’t do much or go far. I have scored a win for the media/political/non-industry community. The other 5 finalists were from the entertainment reality space.”
Also Read – Rise And Fall 2 winner is Shehzad Poonawalla, takes home Rs 35 lakhs
Before the show, Shehzad and Swara Bhasker were constantly at loggerheads. Naturally, the audience expected fireworks and drama between them on the show. However, Swara and Shehzad became friends in the game and stayed so till the very end. Talking about why the equation with Swara changed, Shehzad said, “There is a great lesson behind Swara and my friendship. If left and right come together, what can they not achieve? Even PM Modi always tries to get the opposition on board when there is a national interest issue. That’s what we should do. In the best interest of the penthouse, I maintained friendships with Karan Patel, Swara. Democracies function like that.”
“My friendship with Swara after the show depends on the circumstances. Here, the circumstances were such that we had to save our positions in the penthouse, so we kept all the controversial, tricky issues aside. But there could be friction again as both of us have strong views,” Shehzad added.
Shehzad Poonawalla on rivalry with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, fight with Siwet Tomar
On the show, Shehzad Poonawalla and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary shared a bitter equation, often trading insults like “gold-digger” and “vamp”. Sharing if he and Priyanka have buried the hatchet, Shehzad said, “Priyanka is an established actor. She has achieved so much, done a reality show before. From my end, everything is okay. She is an accomplished actor and has got so much under her belt. She has a great career ahead. This was a show, and we were in circumstances that made you react in a certain way. But I regret using certain words for her. I take them back. Even though they were said in a context or response, I shouldn’t have said that.”
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On the second day of Rise and Fall 2, Shehzad got into the show’s biggest fight with Siwet Tomar. Siwet physically assaulted Shehzad and had to leave the show. After his eviction, Siwet posted a video on Instagram and said he gave Shehzad “what he deserved.” Reacting to this, the Rise and Fall 2 winner said, “For me, violence is never the key. The great thing about being in a democracy is that you can express yourself using words. The Indian Express fought against the Emergency by picking up the pen when it was inconvenient. Obviously, I cannot teach the philosophy of Mr Ramnath Goenka to a guy like Siwet. He focuses more on brawn than brain. I have forgiven him, and I hope he gets a good career. In the next show, if he gets one, he doesn’t end up doing the same.”
Shehzad Poonawalla to donate his winning amount to flood relief victims
Shehzad Poonawalla was considered a mastermind in the game. However, he had moments where he wanted to quit Rise and Fall. Looking back at his mistakes on the show, Shehzad confessed to underestimating his fellow contestants and disrespecting the platform. He said, “I did underestimate a few of my fellow contestants. I have been in politics for 18-19 years. The great thing about the art of politics is that you have to learn to deal with all kinds of people. I have picked that art very well; I was with Congress, then I joined the BJP. As for asking to quit the show, I agree that was disrespectful. Every time I said I wanted to quit the show, better sense prevailed. In life, the best solution to a problem is not reacting right then but to let time pass. And in this game, things changed quickly. The show taught me to be patient.”
Shehzad took home the Rs 35 lakh prize money from Rise and Fall 2. In an earlier episode, he had said that if he won the show, he would like to do something in the public interest. Talking about donating his prize money, Shehzad said, “It’s my duty towards fellow citizens. The Rs 35 lakh I have won, I will be giving that to the CM fund in Bihar and Assam for flood relief. When I joined the show, that was happening. Obviously, both the governments have done a great job in handling that situation. But they can use it for some other disaster, or something else. I want them to use it for the public interest. So, I will definitely give that to them.”