After winning ‘Rise and Fall 2’, Shehzad Poonawalla dismissed allegations of vote theft by Tej Pratap Yadav. He pledged his Rs 35 lakh prize money to support flood and drought relief efforts in Bihar, Assam, and Maharashtra.
‘Rise and Fall 2’ winner Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday took a dig at Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav over his reported allegations of “vote theft” in the reality show, advising him not to further damage whatever credibility he has left in the comedy field. Tej Pratap had reportedly claimed in his social media post that actor Gautam Gulati deserved to win the show and alleged that the public’s votes had been stolen. Shehzad emerged as the winner of the second season of the reality show, taking home the trophy and a cash prize of Rs 35 lakh. Priyanka Chahar Choudhary finished as the first runner-up, while Bigg Boss 8 winner Gautam Gulati secured the third position.
Response to Vote Theft Allegations
Responding to the remarks, Shehzad said Tej Pratap was perhaps not taken seriously by even his family members, former party members, and people in Bihar. “Rajneeti mein kahin baar kuch characters hote hain, koi ikka hota hai, koi badshah hota hai. Ab ikka kaun hai rajneeti ka hum sab jaante hain, par rajneeti mein joker bhi hote hain. Toh shayad ho sakta hai ki woh apne character ke hisaab se bol rahe honge..,” Shehzad told ANI.
He further claimed that Tej Pratap would often seek his guidance during the show, including on whom to vote for. “He perhaps does not know that he used to ask me about everything. He did not understand much about the game, so he would ask me whom to vote for and whom not to vote for. I used to guide him. And I also like guiding those who understand less,” he said.
Explaining the voting process, Shehzad said the show had followed the same procedure as in the previous season, when Arjun Bijlani won. “He perhaps does not know that in the previous season too, when Arjun Bijlani won, three rulers were left, and the three rulers voted for one another. If there had been a tie then as well, the matter would have moved to the next stage, involving the five or six rulers. Rise and Fall followed the same procedure this time. It was not a new process. But, as the saying goes, sour grapes,” he said.
Taking a swipe at Tej Pratap’s remarks about alleged vote theft, Shehzad referred to convictions involving members of the latter’s family. “I feel Tej ji has such a big stature, and now he has spoken about vote theft. Those whose family members have been convicted in cases of theft, including fodder theft and other cases, and in connection with Group C and Group D jobs, are talking about vote theft,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with a cricket match, Shehzad added, “When we used to play cricket as children, as Modi ji once said, if someone got out after batting, they would run away with the bat and say that the umpire was wrong.” Shehzad advised Tej Pratap against making further remarks, saying, “Toh mera ek keval yeh hai unko advice hai Tej ko ki aap apni credibility jo bhi thodi bahut bachi hai isi comedy field mein usko aur kam mat kijiye. Aap apni… comedy field ki bhi credibility kho denge toh fir aapke paas bachega kya? ”
However, he added that he continued to regard Tej Pratap as a brother and would be willing to help him whenever needed. “Whenever there is a need or he requires any help, I will always stand by him. Even in the show, I treated him like a brother, and that brotherly affection will always remain,” he said.
Victory Reflections and Personal Journey
Reflecting on his victory, Shehzad said he was grateful to the audience and credited their support, his mother’s blessings and God’s grace for his win. “When these three things are with you, a chaiwala can become the Prime Minister of the country, and in my case, I was an istriwala, so the istriwala won the show,” he said.
He described his victory as particularly special because he had entered the show as an outsider, competing against contestants from the entertainment industry. “I was a complete outsider in this show. If you saw the finale, the six people who were there, and then the five who remained, were all from the entertainment industry. They were actors and reality TV stars. Some had won big shows, while others were prominent television or film actresses. I was an outsider from the media industry, having spent some time in media and politics,” he said.
Shehzad said he and other contestants had devised a strategy by bringing together people from different sides of the game, which eventually proved successful. He also thanked viewers for supporting him throughout the show.
Drawing a parallel between the show’s title and the ups and downs in his own life, Shehzad recalled losing his father when he was five years old and said his family had faced a sudden change in circumstances. “The name of the show is Rise and Fall, and my life has also been full of rises and falls. When I was five, my father passed away at a very young age. At one point, we were in a very good position, but overnight, life pushed us into the basement. After that, I struggled for several years. I entered politics, where there were ups and downs, and then I was in the media, where there were also rises and falls,” he said.
Describing the memories and relationships he gained during the show as his biggest reward, Shehzad said the experience was more valuable to him than the trophy or the Rs 35 lakh prize money. “People think I was playing for the trophy or the Rs 35 lakh prize money. But the real ultimate prize pot that Rise and Fall gave me was that even my enemies showed me more friendship than my friends did. I received emotions, happiness, sorrow and everything else as my prize. I feel these 42 days were a snapshot of my 38 years of life. I am leaving with these memories, and that is the ultimate prize pot for me,” he said.
Donation for Public Welfare
Shehzad also announced that he would donate his prize money to the Chief Ministers’ Relief Funds of Bihar, Assam and Maharashtra to support people affected by floods and drought. He said he had made a commitment before entering the show that he would donate his winnings towards flood relief in Bihar and Assam, where floods had caused devastation around the time contestants entered the show in September. He added that he had subsequently been informed about the drought situation in Maharashtra.
“I had made a commitment that if I won the show, I would donate whatever money I won towards the floods in Bihar and Assam. I have now been told that Maharashtra is also facing a drought situation. So, I will give this prize money to the Chief Ministers’ funds of all three states so that they can help people,” he said.
Shehzad added that since he had won because of the public’s support, he wanted the money to be used for their benefit. “The public is the reason I won, so it is better if the money is used for the public. I was having difficulty paying my rent, but I spent six weeks in a penthouse. I believe many opportunities will open up for me after this, but first, we should do something for the people,” he said.
Shehzad won the second season of ‘Rise and Fall’, with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary finishing as the first runner-up and Gautam Gulati securing the third position. Tej Pratap had exited the show in its third week, citing personal reasons. (ANI)
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