Shehzad didn't ditch me for a girl, says Tehseen Poonawalla; calls Tej Pratap flop

Analyst Tehseen Poonawalla denied that a woman caused his differences with his brother Shehzad Poonawalla. His response followed Shehzad's heated confrontation with Tej Pratap Yadav on Rise and Fall Season 2.Tehseen Poonawalla dismisses 'girl' claim amid Shehzad Poonawalla-Tej Pratap clash (Photo: (L) PTI, (R) X fan page)New Delhi,Oct 14, 2026 07:57 ISTPolitical analyst and civil rights activist Tehseen Poonawalla has denied that a woman was ever responsible for his differences with brother Shehzad Poonawalla, pushing back against a claim that surfaced during a heated exchange on Rise and Fall Season 2. The row involved Shehzad, Tej Pratap Yadav and Gautam Gulati, with a disagreement over a decision in the show quickly turning into accusations of jealousy, manipulation and a possible romantic angle.Shehzad and his elder brother, Tehseen, have a strained relationship and have openly acknowledged their differences. After the show's argument, a claim circulated on social media suggesting that Shehzad had ditched his brother over a woman.Addressing the claim in an X post, Tehseen made it clear that while he and Shehzad have had serious differences, but a woman had nothing to do with their rift. "Shehzad and I have our differences – major ones – but there was no girl in Shehzad's life for whom he ditched me. That's not true (sic)," he wrote.Tehseen also took an indirect swipe at someone without naming them, in what was perceived to be a dig at Tej Pratap Yadav. "As for the useless nepo kid you mention, he was a flop on the show, while Shehzad is running the show. He is also a flop in Bihar (sic)," he added. See his post here:What happened on Rise & Fall 2?The comments came after an argument in an episode of Rise & Fall 2, where Tej Pratap questioned a decision taken by Shehzad. What began as a disagreement soon drew Gautam into the conversation, with the actor accusing Shehzad of being jealous, insecure and manipulative. Gautam also suggested that Shehzad wouldn't openly challenge Tej because of his political position. "He will not get into a feud with you because you are a minister. He will run after you. He is a liar," Gautam told Tej.Swara Bhasker, however, defended Shehzad's decision, describing it as a temporary arrangement. Gautam wasn't convinced. "I have been in this business for a long time. I understand manipulation," he replied.It was Tej who then brought up the possibility of a romantic angle, prompting Gautam to say, "It is about a girl." The suggestion clearly didn't sit well with Shehzad, who confronted Gautam and made it clear that he didn't want to continue the conversation."As a gentleman, I am telling you, let's not talk, buddy. We are not friends or brothers. I can see through people. You don't have to help me rise; God will help me," Shehzad said.Despite the exchange, Shehzad later returned to try to smooth things over with Gautam. "I don't want my relationship with you to be spoiled," he told him. Gautam, however, questioned why he had been sent downstairs, and the explanation failed to put the matter to rest.The tension flared up again when Tej returned to the romantic claim. Shehzad lost his temper, pushed Tej and objected to the suggestion that his decision had anything to do with a woman. "Don't talk nonsense, Tej bhai, please. Don't say it is because of a girl. What are you saying?" he said.Tej responded by warning Shehzad against speaking to him disrespectfully. “Don't be disrespectful to me. You cannot speak like this either. I will not tolerate it. I will call the production team,” he said.Watch the clip here:So this ex BJP spokesperson @Shehzad_Ind backstabbed his own brother @tehseenp for a random girl Shame on him. Also when confronted by @TejYadav14 he physically assaulted him as well. Pathetic. Why are BJP supporters like this ? https://t.co/LS24FMKDhY— Jitesh (@Chaotic_mind99) October 13, 2026The dispute has now drawn Tehseen into the conversation, with his response firmly rejecting the romantic explanation for the brothers' differences. Their disagreements, he insists, are real, but the claim that Shehzad abandoned him over a woman isn't true.Produced by Banijay Asia and hosted by Virender Sehwag, Rise and Fall Season 2 streams free and exclusively on Prime Video, with new episodes released daily at 12 noon.- Ends