If there is one relationship that defined Rhiti Tiwari’s rather turbulent Bigg Boss 20 journey, it is her equation with Qazi Touqeer. The two went from connecting over their shared artistic energy to an ugly showdown during a rap task, where Rhiti crossed the line with personal and derogatory remarks. Qazi lost his cool, and soon Rhiti found herself facing a reality check from Salman Khan, who questioned her language and whether her hostility towards Qazi stemmed from insecurity.
Now, after , the daughter of Manoj Tiwari looks at the episode differently. In an exclusive conversation with India Today Digital, she admits that she was affected by Qazi but also accepts that the way she reacted was wrong.
Discussing her conversations about feeling envious of Qazi, the singer said, “I think that came out in a much different sense. And you know what, I am not afraid to admit that maybe I had those thoughts. Because it’s human too. All of us have those thoughts at some point or another. We share them with our friends. It just so happened that mine was on national television. But that’s also my story that I was real, maybe a little too real.”
Rhiti entered the house wanting to establish herself as an artist, a rockstar. Then came Qazi, someone she found fascinating almost immediately. As the show progressed, she found herself watching the attention he was receiving and wondering why she wasn’t experiencing the same thing. What may have started as admiration eventually became comparison, and that spilled over during the diss battle. The task was meant to be a playful battle of words, but it turned personal. during Weekend Ka Vaar.
Talking about the incident, the BB 20 evicted contestant said, “I think it was the most life-changing moment of my life, almost like a judgement day for me. I had to sit and listen to the consequences of everything I had done. And I did not even perceive them to be the way that they became. In the start, you might have even seen me trying to defend myself and talk about it. I get irritated by that now. After the episode, I just sat wondering, why did I do it? Why did I react all the ways that I did?”
Rhiti admitted that her strong reaction to Qazi came from genuinely connecting with him. While she accepts that her behaviour was unjustifiable, she says Qazi had a deep impact on her, motivating and uplifting her in a way no one else had. When Rhiti left the Bigg Boss house, Qazi gave her a ring as a good-luck gesture. She later shared pictures with him and wrote, “I’ve got your back. And when I am back, I’ll have it again.” She is adamant that her warmth towards Qazi is not an attempt to win over his fanbase. Calling him an “impactful” person, she said that if people feel what they shared was fake, they should watch the show again.
Rhiti Tiwari’s Bigg Boss journey was hardly an easy watch for her family. Her mother, she says, was proud of her but also reminded her that perhaps not everything needed to be said on national television. Reacting to Manoj Tiwari’s viral video of him being anxious while watching the show, the singer laughed and said, “He must be thinking ab kya bolegi. But my mom is very honestly very proud of me. She did say you have got to be a certain way, not say such things. But I have made a new song about my redemption, and it will be out soon.”
Her father will soon be seen on another reality show with his wife, and Rhiti said she is happy to see him lead his life. “While they might be our parents, they are also human beings and individuals who are living their own lives to begin with. And I’ve had the great privilege of being raised by my mother and seeing life with her and my mama doing everything for me. So I’m so grateful for them. And at the same time, I’m so happy that my dad has found his own place, his own people to be with. All the best to them,” she said.
Rhiti also addressed the allegations surrounding her upbringing and financial status that surfaced on social media. She said she believes some claims were being made to garner attention while she was inside Bigg Boss, and added that legal action has been taken wherever necessary.
On a final note, Rhiti Tiwari said that if she got another shot at the show, she would take it: “I feel like I was just getting started. I was just putting my roots in, just showing you all who I really can be when that was taken away from me. So, I would definitely love to go back to Bigg Boss.”