Happening Kashmiri Today ! Qazi Tauqeer
The Kashmiri rakes in more than 3.5 Crore votes on the reality show Fame Gurukul for talent and his hair.

Qazi Wins The Competition
Qazi & Rooprekha - India's First "Fame Jodi"

They won because the people love them – for their singing, for their performance, for their honesty and for the human beings they are. Over 87 lakh votes came in and their jodi was the most popular.

Javed said it all

About Ruprekha: "Your soul is beautiful and it this beauty that shines through in your singing and your looks. You must always stay like this."

About Qazi: "You are a living example of how the tortoise won the race against the hares. You have won because of two reasons. One is your own dedication and determination and the other is the love that all the people of India have showered on you. Take all that love and distribute it in Kashmir."

Jodi kaun?

The other eleven had also come to share the moment of glory with the Top Three. They performed their group song and later shared their views on who could be the Fame Jodi.

Surprisingly nobody thought that Qazi and Ruprekha would make it. Their votes were divided between the Rex and Ruprekha jodi and Qazi and Rex jodi.

In the faculty, Rex and Qazi seemed to be the most popular choice and in the Jury it was Ruprekha and Qazi.

Last performances

Though the votes were all counted, each jodi gave their last performance on the sets of Fame Gurukul. The Romantic Jodi Rex and Ruprekha sang “Kuch kuch hota hai”. The magic was there and so was the chemistry but it lacked the masti of the Qazi and Ruprekha jodi. The boys were good together with “Mei anadi tu khiladi” but the sweetness was not there. Ruprekha and Qazi shone with melody, masti and chemistry.

Tension all round.

The last result round was exciting and crowds were even waiting outside the sets. Like the contestants, people were nervous and shouting and cheering in anticipation. Qazi felt that he and Ruprekha would win and so did Rex. Once again Jai and Veeru would not be together. Manav and Mandira created enough tension to last a lifetime. Cards appeared all over the sets with names and alphabets but no results. The audiences were strung along till the very end.

The winners takes it all and indeed they did. The fabulous prize money of Rs 1 crore, the chance to record their first album, and a car each is what Qazi and Ruprekha take home.
 

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Qazi's Interview ( Before Winning Fame Jodi):

He threatens to tie up his dreadlocks in a pony for that neat, slick look. He desperately wants to tone his body, since he feels he has shrunk after he stopped working out.

He finds his female fan following unbelievable. And all his bak-bak (he says) is genuine and unrehearsed.

Fame Gurukul’s most-noticed contestant, Qazi Touqeer, makes no qualms about the fact that, though he wants to be an actor and performer, he applied for the Sony reality show to prove to his family that he was not a good-for-nothing.

“I would never be out of bed before 10 am and didn’t even know how to slice an apple. The Gurukul has changed me and my life,” says Qazi as tells us his about his journey to Fame…

The mole below my eye

About six months back, I started getting this wart-like growth that resulted in a mole. Initially, I was concerned and wanted to get rid of it. I consulted a doctor but my mother told me to let it be. “Woh tumhare liye lucky hoga.”
And it is. My journey to Fame Gurukul began with the mole. The application and the auditions and the final selection, all happened in the last six months. I will never have the mole removed, though I know I want to become an actor — Qazi and the mole; that’s another Fame Jodi.

June 2, 2005

Too many things happened on that day. It was the day I celebrated my 20th birthday, the day I was selected to be part of Fame Gurukul. It was the day I landed in Mumbai for the first time. And the day my mole looked bigger! And the day I saw the sea for the first time. Because of Fame Gurukul, I came to Mumbai; this is going to be my home.

Sufi influence

I stay in Srinagar with my mother, who is a schoolteacher, and my father who is a lawyer. Of late, my father has been greatly influenced by Sufi thoughts. We are constantly having people over; he loves to entertain.

People have an open invitation to our home. I have a younger brother, Tauseef. My favourite chachu, Qazi Rafi (a professional singer) and his family also stay with us. The one big regret I have is that I did not learn music from him — it would have helped me in Fame.

Bachpan se hero

At any event, there are some people who hog the limelight; they are the jaan of the party. I was always one of them. Everyone would call me the hero. Nervousness is something I don’t know. I enjoy myself on the stage. In Srinagar, I would always take part in the Saaz aur Awaaz concert, which was dubbed the Saaz aur Qazi concert.

Unaffected by J&K trouble

Bomb blasts, violence, kidnappings… people ask me how we stay in Kashmir? I have never been affected by the happenings there, thank god. I led a normal life and did all the things a youngster does elsewhere. I studied at the SP High School and completed my class 12 from Amar Singh College, Srinagar.

Female attention

Honestly, there is no one special in my life. Last week, we performed at a Ganesh pandal and every time I flicked my hair, the girls would scream. It was the same when I performed at the Malhar festival at St Xavier’s. It’s not that I am playing up to them. I am enjoying myself on stage and I want them to enjoy too.

No playback singer

Why should I? I always wanted to act and perform live. I can’t bear the thought that I put so much into a song and, on screen, it is someone else singing. I will act and do playback only for myself. Or I’d rather do music videos.
 

Sami , Qazi's Neighbour Tells us about Qazi :

Qazi had been different right from his childhood. He was witty and tried to look different. He wore long hair and performed dances in gardens and all the places he got to. Even the college senior students wouldn't allow him past the gate without a dance. He never learnt dance or singing from anyone but himself. His room had lot of mirrors and he performed there. Local guys used to make ridicule of his style but I guess they were jealous of his different looks.

Body building was another passion of Qazi and he wanted to be called a muscle-man. As far as I know him he had been very shy in childhood. He attended local school, Jamia Millia  in Nawpora where his mother taught us. Like all other students I never thought he would become such a star, but honesty and his out-speaking quality is what I guess won him votes, fans and stardom.

Fame Jodi Album: Jodi No. 1