Qazi Touqeer’s appearance on Bigg Boss 20 has revived interest in his journey from the 2005 singing reality show Fame Gurukul, where he became an overnight sensation. The programme also featured Arijit Singh, who was eliminated before reaching the top five. Despite their contrasting fortunes on the show, Qazi and Arijit formed a close friendship that has endured for almost two decades.

Arijit has since become one of India’s most recognisable playback singers, while Qazi pursued a career with a strong focus on acting and entertainment. Their paths have remained connected, however, and Qazi has frequently spoken about Arijit when discussing their early days together. Arijit, who generally keeps his personal life away from the spotlight, also recently showed his support for Qazi after his entry into Bigg Boss 20.

Among the memories Qazi has shared is a remarkable conversation in which Arijit, then a young musician himself, told him that he had the potential to become a major pop star in India — even drawing a comparison with Michael Jackson.

A friendship that began on Fame Gurukul

The roots of their friendship go back to the Fame Gurukul days. Arijit was only 17 when he appeared on the programme, and Qazi remembered a particularly emotional moment involving the young singer.

An old clip from the reality show has resurfaced on social media nearly 20 years later. In it, Qazi is seen comforting Arijit after he became emotional in front of the cameras. Qazi had also voted to save him during the competition.

In the footage, Qazi encourages Arijit not to lose courage or give in to negative thoughts. He explains that he would not decide his vote solely on the basis of a performance, but would consider the contestants more broadly.

Qazi also told Arijit that if he returned to the competition, he could pose a significant threat to the other participants. Rather than avoiding that challenge, Qazi said he welcomed it and therefore voted for him.

That interaction became one of the early moments in a friendship that has survived long after the reality show ended.

Arijit won ₹10 lakh after Fame Gurukul

Although Arijit did not make the top five of Fame Gurukul, he continued to pursue opportunities in reality television. He later appeared on Dus Ka Dus, another Sony programme that brought together contestants associated with Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul.

Qazi discussed the lesser-known show during an interview with Siddharth Kannan. He recalled that Dus Ka Dus did not attract the same level of public attention as some of the better-known reality programmes of the time. Its prize money, however, was ₹10 lakh.

Arijit participated in the competition and, according to Qazi, won the title and the ₹10 lakh prize.

The victory had significance beyond the prize itself. Qazi recalled that Arijit used the money to purchase equipment for setting up a studio, reflecting the singer’s early interest in the technical and production side of music.

Arijit had an ambitious plan for Qazi

After winning Dus Ka Dus, Arijit reportedly called Qazi several times and invited him to his home. Qazi said he was busy with shooting at the time, but eventually met his old friend.

During that meeting, Arijit told him about winning the ₹10 lakh prize and explained that he had bought equipment to establish a studio.

It was also around this period that Arijit shared his vision for Qazi’s future.

Qazi recalled that Arijit, who was about 22 at the time, believed his friend could become a major pop performer. He pointed to international stars such as Michael Jackson and suggested that India, too, could have an artist of comparable pop-star stature.

According to Qazi, Arijit was convinced that he had the necessary potential.

The suggestion, however, did not immediately convince Qazi. He was older than Arijit and had his own ambitions. His primary goal at that stage was to establish himself as an actor and make a name for himself in films.

Qazi said Arijit even insisted that he was serious and was not simply flattering his friend. He also offered Qazi opportunities to perform on shows. But Qazi did not pursue them because his attention remained firmly fixed on acting.

Qazi says he never resented Arijit’s success

The careers of the two friends eventually moved in very different directions. Arijit went on to establish himself as one of India’s biggest singers, while Qazi continued along his own path in entertainment.

That difference has sometimes prompted comparisons between them, particularly because Qazi had won Fame Gurukul while Arijit had failed to reach the top five.

Qazi, however, said he has never viewed Arijit’s success with jealousy.

He recalled people telling him that, despite his victory on the reality show, Arijit had gone on to achieve much greater heights. Qazi said his response was that he was genuinely happy for his friend and remained content with his own life and achievements.

When asked whether he had ever felt even slightly disappointed about not reaching the same level of success as Arijit, Qazi gave a firm answer: “Not even 1%.”

‘Tum Hi Ho’ showed Qazi how far Arijit had come

One of Qazi’s strongest memories of Arijit’s breakthrough came with Tum Hi Ho. He described the song as a turning point in his friend’s career.

Qazi recalled hearing the song on MTV late at night and recognising Arijit’s voice almost immediately. He called the singer to confirm that it was indeed him.

According to Qazi, Arijit himself did not initially appear to fully appreciate how significant the song would become. When Arijit asked whether Qazi liked it, his friend told him that he had become a star and that his life was about to change.

Arijit reportedly said he would visit Qazi the following day, but the meeting did not take place. The singer soon became occupied with interviews and then a succession of recording and promotional commitments.

For Qazi, that period marked the moment when Arijit’s career truly accelerated.

Learning beyond singing

Qazi also highlighted an aspect of Arijit’s early career that he believes helped shape the singer’s abilities. Before achieving widespread fame, Arijit worked with composer Pritam to learn about programming and the technical side of music.

Qazi said Arijit was therefore not merely focused on singing. He was also interested in understanding how music was arranged and produced.

That willingness to learn, in Qazi’s view, was part of what distinguished Arijit during his formative years.

A star who remained grounded

Despite Arijit’s enormous success, Qazi believes his old friend has retained the simplicity he had when they first met.

He described Arijit as someone who does not appear overly concerned about how others perceive him. Qazi pointed to the singer’s preference for ordinary clothing and his habit of riding a scooter, saying that fame had not fundamentally changed his approach to everyday life.

Their friendship has remained intact despite the passage of nearly 20 years and their very different career trajectories.

When Qazi entered Bigg Boss 20, Arijit publicly supported him through his personal X account, WhoAmI. He joked that he would have to watch Bigg Boss for the first time because his “rockstar Qazi” was taking part.

The story of their friendship has now come full circle. In their early years, Qazi encouraged a teenage Arijit during a difficult moment on a reality show. Years later, Arijit was the one encouraging Qazi to see a much bigger future for himself.

Qazi may not have followed the pop-star path his friend envisioned, but his recollections show that Arijit recognised his potential long before the singer himself became one of India’s most celebrated musical voices.