21 years after Fame Gurukul win, Qazi Touqeer admits ‘I didn’t sing well’

More than two decades after winning Fame Gurukul, Qazi Touqeer has looked back at the reality show that turned him into a household name, admitting that he “didn’t sing well” despite eventually winning the competition in which Arijit Singh was among the contestants.

Qazi, who has returned to the spotlight with Bigg Boss 20, said he was aware even during Fame Gurukul in 2005 that he was not among the strongest singers in the competition. His comments have revived memories of one of Indian television’s earliest blockbuster music reality shows and the contrasting journeys taken by Qazi and Arijit after it ended.

‘I knew I didn’t sing well’

Reflecting on his performances, Qazi acknowledged that singing was not his strongest attribute on Fame Gurukul. What worked in his favour, however, was the connection he established with viewers, who repeatedly voted to keep him in the competition.

Qazi ultimately emerged as one of the two winners alongside Ruprekha Banerjee and became part of the winning “Fame Jodi”. Arijit, despite being recognised as one of the stronger singers on the show, did not reach the winning combination.

The outcome has acquired a different significance with time. Arijit went on to become one of India's most successful playback singers, while Qazi largely disappeared from mainstream entertainment after the initial fame that followed his reality-show victory.

Qazi's latest remarks underline that he does not view his 2005 triumph as evidence that he was a better singer than Arijit. Instead, he has spoken candidly about the difference between technical singing ability and the popularity that drove audience voting on the show.

Friendship with Arijit survives two decades

Despite their sharply different career trajectories, Qazi and Arijit have remained close. Earlier this year, Qazi shared glimpses of a visit to Arijit's hometown of Jiaganj in West Bengal, where the two spent time together, rode around town and played cricket.

Qazi has described Arijit as a friend, brother and family, praising him for remaining grounded despite his extraordinary success. He has said Arijit has no insecurity or jealousy towards others and remains driven by his passion for music.

Their friendship has again attracted attention following Qazi's entry into Bigg Boss 20. Arijit recently publicly backed his former Fame Gurukul colleague, saying Qazi's participation had given him a reason to watch the reality show for the first time.

From Fame Gurukul to Bigg Boss

Fame Gurukul, which aired in 2005, placed contestants in a residential music academy where their performances, training and interactions were followed by television audiences. Qazi became one of the programme's most recognisable faces, surviving repeated danger zones with strong public support before eventually winning.

Twenty-one years later, his appearance on Bigg Boss 20 has brought him back into the reality television spotlight and renewed interest in his Fame Gurukul journey.

For Qazi, however, hindsight has brought a candid assessment of the victory that first made him famous — the public may have made him a winner, but, by his own admission, he was never the best singer in the room.