Bihar meets Bombay: Tej Pratap and Shehzad Poonawalla's unexpected reality TV alliance

Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav and former BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla have landed on the same reality show, as contestants on the second season of Rise & Fall, which began streaming on Prime Video and MX Player on Saturday.

Ahead of the season, Poonawalla posted a 48-second Instagram Reel with Tej Pratap, set to Yo Yo Honey Singh and Diljit Dosanjh's track "Panga." In the reel, Poonawalla describes their equation as "when Patna meets Pune," to which Tej Pratap responds, "when Mumbai meets Bihar." Both then promise "dhamaal," "bawaal" and, eventually, "kamaal" from their time on the show, a line Poonawalla has also repeated separately, saying, "There will be challenges, there will be disagreements, there will be fun. But I think when Patna meets Pune, dhamaal hoga, bawaal hoga, aur phir kamaal hoga."

The reel also touches on their religious beliefs, with both saying "Jai Sanatan." Tej Pratap, previously known as a Krishna devotee, describes himself as a follower of Lord Shiva, while Poonawalla says he is a devotee of Lord Hanuman.


Extending the theme to the game itself, Tej Pratap jokes that Poonawalla will play "Bajrang Bali" on the show while he takes on the role of "Ram." Poonawalla has said the two share "a strong connection with the Sanatan roots," while clarifying that once inside the game, each contestant will play for themselves.

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A post shared by Shehzad Poonawalla (@shehzadpoonawalla)

Both have maintained that the collaboration is limited to the show and not a political alliance.

Rise & Fall Season 2 is hosted by former India cricketer Virender Sehwag and follows the same Rulers-versus-Workers format as its first season, with 15 contestants divided between a penthouse and a basement as power shifts through the game.

Besides Tej Pratap and Poonawalla, the confirmed line-up includes actors Swara Bhasker, Karan Patel and Gautam Gulati, television personality Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, Bhojpuri stars Kajal Raghwani, actor-singer Sara Gurpal, reality-TV personalities Siwet Tomar, Niharika Tiwari, Irina Rudakova and Kaira Anu, content creators Anish Bhagat and Raj Grover, and digital creator and journalist Manish Kashyap.

Tej Pratap Yadav, son of RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, was expelled from the party for six years by his father in May 2025 over conduct concerns following a viral social media post.

He went on to found the Janshakti Janata Dal and contested the 2025 Bihar Assembly election from the Mahua seat, finishing third with over 35,000 votes. This is Tej Pratap's second reality show appearance, after an earlier stint on Bhojpuri Bawaal.

Shehzad Poonawalla resigned as BJP national spokesperson and from the party's primary membership in August 2026, citing "pressing financial and personal circumstances," while saying he would continue to support the party's ideology and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.