Exclusive: Shehzad Poonawalla calls Tej Pratap a 'clown', rules out close friendship

Shehzad Poonawalla called Tej Pratap Yadav the "clown of Indian politics" after winning Rise & Fall Season 2. In an exclusive interview, he said they are unlikely to stay in regular touch but would help him if he seeks advice.Shehzad Poonawalla (left) opened up about his equation with Tej Pratap Yadav after winning Rise & Fall Season 2. (Credit: MX Player, PTI)New Delhi,Nov 6, 2026 17:15 ISTRise & Fall Season 2 winner Shehzad Poonawalla has called Tej Pratap Yadav the “clown of Indian politics” and said their friendship was unlikely to continue through regular contact outside the reality show. The political commentator, however, said he would consider helping Tej Pratap if he sought advice.Shehzad won the Virender Sehwag-hosted show after six weeks of arguments, shifting loyalties and power struggles. He finished ahead of first runner-up Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, while Gautam Gulati came third, Swara Bhasker fourth and Karan Patel fifth.In an exclusive interview, Shehzad spoke about his alliances, clashes and the moments when he wanted to leave the competition. He also said he planned to return to the media and political debates.Shehzad's friendship with Tej Pratap offered a break from the confrontations that marked much of his journey. Asked whether Tej Pratap's eviction midway through the show strengthened his game or deprived him of an ally, Shehzad said the contestants had formed a working alliance to protect the Penthouse. “We all came together from various backgrounds, various thought processes, and we formed a working alliance of sorts to keep our penthouse safe. So, obviously, from that perspective, anybody who went away from the penthouse like Tej Pratap, or whether it was Karan who went out for one week because of health reasons, it was a setback. And I guess in the long run, we still managed to keep our F3 alliance going, then we made it F4. At point it was F5 also. So, we tried to keep building on our alliances irrespective of whether one or second personality left,” he said.Shehzad said Tej Pratap's departure came at the wrong time and could have affected a decision involving Gautam (to send him to the basement). “At that point, one felt that it was not the right time. Had he informed me that he's going, maybe I would have taken a different decision about Gautam at that time, but he did not. So, I guess that's the way he played,” he said. Asked whether their friendship would continue after the show, Shehzad said, “No, I mean, we don't meet every day or we don't have a daily interaction, honestly. He kind of is now reduced to the margins of political discourse, except that he makes a comment here or there to stay relevant or in attention like a clown of Indian politics. So, I don't really find him that relevant. I guess we will not probably be that much in touch.”He added, “If he asks me for advice, I'll always give him good advice like I gave him in the show. He gets scared a lot. He used to feel that I go to the basement. So, what will happen? So, he ran away. So, I guess if he ever needs good counseling, I'll always be happy to. But I guess even his own family members and his own party people found him too much to handle. So, maybe he's better off from a distance. I think that you should handle defeat with grace rather than be a sore loser about it. But yeah, if in case he asks me for any help, I'll definitely consider.”Finding common ground with SwaraShehzad and Swara entered the show with an existing ideological disagreement. Their interactions developed into a friendship before further clashes drove them apart.Explaining their unlikely alliance, Shehzad compared it with the government and the Opposition working together in Parliament. “Swara and I kind of like, you know, many times in Parliament. You must be seeing that government reaches out to opposition in national interest and they take their support to kind of pass an important law for the national interest. So, just like that in the penthouse interest, Swara and I and others decided that let's keep our differences aside and work towards this.”No reconciliation with SiwetOne of the season's biggest controversies began with an argument between Shehzad and Siwet Tomar. It escalated into a physical altercation in which Siwet grabbed Shehzad by the neck and tore his kurta. Siwet was evicted because physical violence violated the show's rules. Shehzad later said he had asked the makers not to remove him.Asked whether they could mend their relationship after the show, Shehzad said, “Actually, you are assuming that Siwet plays any significant part in my existence. He doesn't, actually. His existence doesn't matter to me. People like Siwet have not evolved to the understanding that in TV shows or in reality shows like this, or in news debates, we use our brain and our mouth, not our hands. That's what Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar taught us. But unfortunately, some people spend time on body, not on brain.”He added, “So, I also requested the show makers to bring him back, but then it was so violently against the rules, the actions he had done. And I think, hopefully, he won't repeat it because it's a pattern with him. So, I hope he doesn't repeat it elsewhere. But frankly, his existence doesn't make any difference.”An underdog victorySpeaking about finishing ahead of Priyanka and Gautam, who have years of experience in television and reality shows, Shehzad said, “Well, first of all, let me thank God for His divine guidance and obviously the people who are supporting me. My mother's blessing, which was always with me. And I think it's not about defeating A or B person, but of course, one thing was for sure that I was an outsider pitted against these OGs of reality TV and TV shows and movies, etc. So, the entertainment industry had an overwhelming domination in this area, whereas we were just underdogs. So, everyone likes it when an underdog wins and that's what happened in this show.”He added, “And it's only possible in a show like Rise & Fall, right? Because most of the time you see these other reality shows, they're not much about using your brain. It's not about strategy, alliances, doing tasks. It's just about this tutu mehmeh and all of that. And then some celebrity that you have to go and Google about wins. But here it was people who had a huge body of work, coming there, playing the game, being part of it. And then to win among those people, it's obviously a great validation, but obviously all credit to the people and all the credit to God who gave me guidance.”Shehzad's relationship with Priyanka remained another recurring talking point. The two exchanged sharp remarks as part of the show's wider power struggles. His comments about Priyanka also drew attention outside the game. At one point, Sehwag questioned him about calling the actor a “vamp”, and Shehzad defended his remarks.His equation with Gautam was similarly complicated. Although they shared moments of understanding, Shehzad's decision to choose Gautam over Swara during a crucial stage led to another confrontation.When Shehzad wanted to leaveShehzad admitted that there were moments when he genuinely wanted to leave the show. “There were times where you kind of felt so low that you wanted to leave the show. But I guess, like in life, and so in the show, time changes everything. And in life, time takes a little more time, but in the show, because things are happening at such a rapid pace, so one day you feel like you've risen in the morning, and then the next moment in the afternoon or evening, you feel you've fallen, and then the frustration sets in,” he said.He said patience and persistence were essential to surviving the competition. “So the key to life or the key to the show is to not lose your patience, to keep persistence, to be humble when you've risen, and to be calm when you've fallen. And I guess, eventually, those who could manage that better, managed to stay till the finals.”Return to political debatesLooking ahead, Shehzad said, “The road ahead looks great. I'm a very optimistic person about life in general. I think that I'm here because of the blessings and help of so many good people in the media. And I'm going to go back to the media, go back to political debates”Rise & Fall brought together contestants from different backgrounds and divided them between the Rulers in the Penthouse and the Workers in the Basement. Shehzad secured his place in the finale after winning the Ticket to Finale challenge with Rishabh Jaiswal.The victory made Shehzad the first finalist and helped him reclaim the Ultimate Ruler title for the second time. He cleared the remaining challenges and lifted the trophy. Shehzad received Rs 35 lakh as prize money and announced that he would donate it to the Chief Minister's fund for flood-affected states.The finale episode is available to stream on Prime Video.- Ends