The QAZI Arena:Hi-On QAZI TOUQEER

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arshi

@ar$hi

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Posted: 19 years ago

#101

WIN IT LIKE QAZI

'Kahani poori filmi hai'

Priya Sugathan, Sakinaka
Pics: Meena

Reality shows have never been the same since Qazi Touqeer came to try his luck in one of them. A mere contestant who triggered off the protective instincts of Indians across the globe as he stumbled his way from being an off-key to earning the crown of one half of Gurukul's Fame Jodi with Rooprekha.

Armed with dreams, super (not over) confidence, a handful of dance steps learned from watching television, and no sur, the golden (literally) boy from Kashmir came to try his luck in a singing competition and unwittingly floored the Indian audience even as the self righteous trained singer tribe went all out to prove that he did not fit in with them and did not qualify. While humiliations made him work harder at his notes and master them, his presence rankled the other contestants who worked hard at making him feel an outsider than their riyaaz.

"Kahani poori filmi hai," quips the twenty year old incredulously. "I didn't know what I was getting into when inspired by Abhijeet Sawant, a god for the youth, I auditioned for Fame Gurukul. It was anything but Indian Idol. Here we were confined to one side of the world for four months, no interactions with outsiders and rules and regulations to be followed, and cameras on for 24 hours. Our life was being viewed by the world. Irrespective of our talent, what mattered was how we handled the pressure. And I went through that everyday as I kept landing in the danger zone time after time, but I used to laugh it off on the stage saying anything is possible." Qazi recalls the only time he cried on stage. "I sang 'I am the best' song and landed in the danger zone on the very first day. I could not understand what was happening and thought I was a goner. With tears flowing, I said, 'har haar ke baad ek jeet hoti hai aur us jeet ka mein zindagi bhar intezaar karoonga. Chahe voh jeet aaye ya na aaye, lekin main voh jeet ka intezaar karoonga.' And that day finally came." About all the criticism and humiliation that he faced on television, Qazi philosophises, "If it were not for those criticisms, I would not have improved and come this far. Mehnat se kuch bhi ho sakta hai. My friends are shocked, 'tu gaayaki kabse bana?'"

Qazi, whose yardstick of success and hardwork are Amitabh Bachchan (bade miyan) and Shahrukh Khan (chhote miyan), says he's not changed much. "I talked a lot before and I do so even now. I never plan what I say, and I believe that 'ganda bhi bolo toh dil se bolo," he laughs. "I apply that to my singing as well. I'm not a trained singer and I don't know my saregamas; I just believe in singing with my whole soul. And will continue to do so." He's quite excited about his debut album with Rooprekha, which has ten songs; His renditions of songs like 'Yeh Pal, 'Meri Mehbooba' and 'Karoo kya' gives goose p***les to people who've seen his journey as a 'besura'; the transformation is amazing. But he's quite excited about that one song that captures his journey as 'zero to hero'. "I also enjoyed shooting for the video of 'Yeh pal', because I got to do what I've always wanted to do and that is – acting. I love being in front of the camera. Acting is my passion and I'll never playback for another actor."

He cracks up when he hears about a 'Mrs Qazi' contest being held by his fans and recounts his disaster with 'maidens'. On a serious note, he feels grateful to the junta's support and calls himself 'junta ka aadmi'; he also feels that he's reaping the rewards of the good deeds of his father. "My father was a lawyer and gave it all for Sufisim. Every week he keeps a langar and has told me to continue the tradition even if I have no money."

QAZISM (His popular quotes during FG show):
> I like challenges.
> Qazi is all about passion.
> 'Kabhi bhi kucch bhi ho sakta hai, anything is possible'
> 'Main tumhe bataata hu performance, and you show me the sur. Together we will rock boss.'
> 'Aaj main hawai jahaz main ud rahaa hoon; rail gaadi ki baatain na poochiye'
> 'Hum yaha rishtey banane ke liye nahi aaye hai. This is competition'
> 'Khushi ke maare neend nahin ayee'

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#102

[

Rocking The Vote

Submitted by Ravi on August 27, 2005 - 13:26. India

New Delhi, August 26: What's he got that I ain't got? That's probably what Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant's muttering by himself. After only two months of being on air, Fame Gurukul finalist Qazi Toqueer has raked in 8.5 million votes—five times of what Sawant received. This brown-eyed 20-year-old has survived the gurukul with almost feline instincts.

For the sixth time last week, the judges placed him in the danger zone at the mercy of home viewers. And on each occasion, they've bailed him out, the numbers rising with every poll. ''Whenever peers and judges told me that I couldn't sing and have no future, I accepted it as a challenge to do better. I think people appreciate my confidence and therefore vote for me,'' says the Srinagar lad who has never undergone formal vocal training. It was watching Indian Idol that inspired him to try Gurukul out, but Toqueer claims that he had it tougher than anything Sawant or Sana ever underwent. ''Idol was a simple format, with no probations or being monitored on camera 24 hours. I've even sung more songs than Abhijeet did on the show, about 14 so far,'' he says. For him, hogging the limelight is top priority, whether by mimicking judges Shankar Mahadevan and Javed Akhtar, or belting out a passionate number at a college fest. ''I've always believed that the camera is my girlfriend,'' says the aspiring actor. ''Back home, I always had a handycam running, making home videos,'' he adds. Maybe that's what puts him at ease with the gurukul's hidden lenses. He may not lead the way with singing talent, but the audience seems flawed by his persistence. Toqueer's X factor is a mix of histrionics, boyish charm and a funky hair-do. So what does he do on a bad hair day? ''I think back to what Farookh Abdullah once told me in Srinagar. I'm a better dancer than Hrithik Roshan.''

Gyz dis is n old article on our Qazi dat iv cum across...but its gr8!chek it out!

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#103

Qazi Toqueer

20 October, 2005 was a day that will be remembered in the entertainment industry as the day Qazi Toqueer was crowned King! The guy with the disheveled locks, a confused aim in life and a surprising lack of sur and taal was declared the winner of Sony's reality show, Fame Gurukul. In a few months time, the frank and outspoken Qazi became the heartthrob of millions, even outshining Rex D'souza, who had made quite a mark with his performance and charisma. If this was not all, Qazi's name has now becone synonymous with the X-factor!!!!

indiatelevision.com

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#104

Destiny's child

PRIYANKA GEHLOT
Wednesday, December 14, 2005 08:38:02 pmTIMES NEWS NETWORK

Qazi Tauqeer is quite a sensation. The 'hot favourite' singer speaks to us on his musical journey from the vale of Kashmir to the top of the world.

* On being popular : It's a marvellous feeling. I am lucky. It is only due to God's grace and so many well wishers that I have reached this stage.

* An underestimated singer?: Initially everybody had this notion that I couldn't sing but I have proved them wrong.

The contest was for an over-all performer and not just a good singer. I always knew that I would fit the bill. And ultimately the package of my performing abilities and my singing skills helped me sail through.

* Did the locks hold the key : I don't know what really attracted the masses and why they voted for me. Maybe it was my curly hair (laughs). However, I was confident of my abilities.

* Singer by chance : I was aspiring to be an actor, but after Abhijeet Sawant's success, I decided to be a part of a similar contest as I thought this would be the best way to attain fame and to prove to my family that I am not a 'good-for-nothing'.

* Filmi chakkar: Yes, I may do a film after an year or so. I am getting good offers from filmmakers but as of now, I don't want to name them.

* Gaata rahe mera dil : I can't see myself just as a playback singer lending my voice to some other actor. I will lend my voice to only those songs where I can be on screen or on stage. Or else I would prefer to do only music videos.

* Dealing with allegations of his win being politically motivated : No political interference can motivate this kind of a response from the audience.

Those who are looking for political innuendoes in such transparent contests are in my opinion those who have struggled all their life and got nowhere despite that.

* Wo ladki hain kahan : Whenever I liked any girl, she would run away in a week's time as I only spoke to them about camera and 'action' (laughs). Honestly, there is no one special in my life.

priyanka.gehlot@timesgroup.com

source:the times of india

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#105

QAZI Speaks:'I deserved to win'

Anjali Singh Jaiswal
Thursday, December 15, 2005 12:10:30 amTIMES NEWS
NETWORK

That's what Qazi Tauqeer feels as he dismisses allegations that his win was politically motivated.

He is literally the new kid on the block, enjoying every bit of the attention and adulation that is coming his way post the talent hunt show he won recently.

Qazi Tauqeer admits to feeling like "A superstar who has the X-factor to win such a reality show. I knew I would win as I was the best. Ever since I was a kid people who met me felt that I was destined to be a superstar. Guess they were right."

Modesty certainly is not in with this young man. However, he is quite taken aback when you introduce him to a slew of allegations of his win being politically motivated, to pacify his troubled home state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He is hurt and it shows but that does not stop him from shooting back, "Really, this is what the perception is? Dekhiye all I know is that I have won as I deserved to win and the viewers wanted me to win.

That's how I got the largest number of votes, no political interference can motivate public to support me. Those who are looking for political innuendoes in such transparent contests are, in my opinion, those who have struggled all their life and got nowhere despite that.

They are failures, yeh log aaj kahin nahin pahunch paye is liye yeh sab boltein hain." (People who have not been able to make it despite years of struggle are the ones who cast such aspersions.)

Fair enough, but then does he know that among those making such allegations are no less bigwigs than Abhijeet Bhattacharya, a singer who by no means can be called a struggler who got nowhere.

A panorama of emotions fleet across his face before he retorts, "Really, that's strange. But then you see when a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan ko bhi batein sunni padethi hain, to main to ek bahut chhota sa kalakar hoon (when even Shah Rukh has to face such allegations then an aspiring artiste like me can know no respite).

All I know is that my confidence got me through and the love of the nation put me where I am today." So no political interference got him where he is today? "No, I have not even met or spoken to any politician let alone ask them for favours. People love me and it shows."

anjali.singh@timesgroup.com

SOURCE:TIMES OF INDIA--LUCKNOW EDITION--

Edited by ar$hi - 19 years ago

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#106

Man of the Month : QAZI TOUQEER

He is the newest poster boy of the music world, the ones chosen by the numerous reality shows that have not only revolutionised television programming, but also turned small town underdogs into national obsessions.
The scrawny, blond-haired Qazi Touqeer had the music lovers, the thrill seekers and the emotionally volatile Indian audience enthralled for almost eight weeks that the reality show, Fame Gurukul unfolded on Sony TV. A staggering 15 million sms's were sent in his favour from across the country. The voters did not care where he came from, what religion he practised or what his class background was. They just enjoyed his performances. That must count for something at a time when we have not forgotten what happened in Gujarat and are still recovering from the aftershocks of the crises in the Valley.
"I loved every single minute I spent on that set, and in the Gurukul. It's been a show full of challenges and dramatic wins, stuff that I enjoy," says the cocky boy from Srinagar, who has often narrated stories about how his parents almost gave up on him after he preferred to "sing and dance, rather than concentrate on something more worthwhile. Now, they are my biggest fans."
Not a trained singer, Qazi had been pushed into the danger zone on the show for a record ten times by the three judges, but each time bounced back with huge public vote. "I only cried the first time. Then, everyone else around me cried," he laughs."My coming back with public vote became the talk of the Gurukul. No one, not even I knew why people kept voting me back again and again, when there were better singers around."
Winning the title, 'Fame Jodi' along with co-contestant Ruprekha Banerjee has meant a Rs one crore contract with the television channel. "Everyone, not just in Srinagar but across India will take me more seriously when I say I want to be a singer-star, in the mould of Kishore Kumar. I want to act and sing my own songs."
Beyond the hype and hoopla, Fame Gurukul has helped him mature as a singer and a performer, feels one of the judges, Javed Akhtar. But on a more subtle level, Qazi's win has sent a message back home, if one goes by the media reports. "A hope that Kashmiris are as much a part of the Indian mainstream, as anyone else," he muses. "That we too will get our due, if we are talented; that terrorism doesn't have to be a way of life. I have heard that some Kashmiri boys have auditioned for the second Indian Idol title. That's great! There is nothing to do in the valley for anyone who is ambitious or wants to lead a good, peaceful life."

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#107

Instant recognition
India's Fame Gurukul winners find celebrity life unreal
December 08, 2005

BETWEEN Qazi Touqeer and Ruprekha Bannerjee, youcouldn't get a more different reaction to instant fame.

The duo is the latest in a long line of reality TV contest winners from India.

Kashmir-born Qazi, 19, and Ruprekha, 21, from Kolkata are winners of Sony Entertainment Television's (SET) talent show, Fame Gurukul (Fame Academy), in October.

The pair were the last two standing in a competition that saw 14 contestants slug it out with song and dance.

The New Paper met them when they were in Singapore last week to present an award at the Asian Television Awards.

Qazi took to his instant fame like a cat to catnip.

'I have always wanted to be famous,' he said.

Qazi said he wanted to be a Bollywood star like his idols Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

'I saw Fame Gurukul and I told my mum: 'I am going to Mumbai and I am going to win this competition.'

'I thought this would be a good platform for me to get into Bollywood,' said the very confident frizzy-haired lad from Srinagar.

STILL SHY

In contrast, Ruprekha was still a little shy about how to react to people recognising her.

'The housekeeper at my hotel said: 'Aren't you the girl from Fame Gurukul?'

'I was surprised that even people in Singapore knew us. All I said was thank you,' said the West Bengal native.

Like Qazi, she said that winning Fame Gurukul was a dream come true.

'I've always wanted to be a playback singer. When I was younger, I would write on my pencil box: 'Ruprekha (playback singer)','said the younger of two children.

For Qazi and Ruprekha, the trip to Singapore was their first trip abroad.

Fame Gurukul is based on a Spanish reality TV show called Operacion Triunfo where 14 contestants live in a house together for 14 weeks.

During the show, India's top singers and musicians tutored the contestants.

Each week, one contestant was booted out through viewers' SMS votes.

The two final winners or the Fame Jodi (Fame Couple) got a one-year artiste contract worth 10 million rupees ($364,040) with SET and a recording contract with Sony BMG.

The show was so popular that about half a million SMS votes were polled for the finals and reportedly caused a near meltdown of India's handphone services.

Qazi and Ruprekha, who were the favourites throughout the competition, described the experience as being in another world.

Ruprekha said: 'We were totally cut off from the outside world. It was just a completely different environment.

'We had to focus on the business of singing and performing. Nothing else mattered.'

Qazi added: 'It had to be the hardest thing I ever did. We were not allowed to read newspapers, talk to our parents. We couldn't even talk to the camera crew.'

PARENTS UNHAPPY

He admitted that his school-teacher mother and his father, a legal adviser with the United Nations in Srinagar, were not happy about him leaving school for fame.

'But I told them I was going be a star and here I am,' he said.

However, not everybody is embracing the newly-minted stars.

Shubha Mudgal, one of India's leading Indian classical singers, was a harsh critic of the show.

In an interview with The Hindu, she said: 'You earn gyan (knowledge), not fame, in a gurukul (music academy).

'Only with gyan comes fame. A gurukul is not a mall where you can buy fame.'

When the topic was brought up, Qazi and Ruprekha were miffed at the criticism.

'This is the shortest way of getting a foot into the industry.

'But at the end of the day, my talent will speak for itself,' said Qazi.

Ruprekha added: ' I worked hard for this. I deserve it and they (critics) are wrong if they say we didn't work for it.'

They will work hard to prove themselves, for the next few months at least. The two will be kept busy, jetting across the Indian sub-continent and performing at live shows back-to-back.

Qazi claimed that he is already getting offers from Bollywood.

He said with a swagger: 'The goal for me now is to be a film star and to sing all the songs on the film soundtracks.'

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#108

Qazi's 'Fame'ous mole disappears
By: Shaheen Parkar
December 8, 2005

Qazi Touqeer with the mole below his right eye
Pic: Rane Ashish Qazi's mole has vanished
Pic: Pradeep Bandekar
His dreadlocks remain intact along with his rejoinders; so does his attitude.

Fame Gurukul's Qazi Touqeer, who bagged the Fame Jodi crown along with Ruprekha Banerjee in the Sony show, won't let anyone snip his trademark tresses.

However, post the Fame Gurukul finale, there has been one noticeable change in the Kashmiri — and it hasn't gone unnoticed.

The mole below Qazi's right eyelid has disappeared. A cursory glance at his "then" and "now" snapshots will prove that the mole has gone missing. Was it a brush-up before the final print? Or has Qazi had it surgically removed, for cosmetic reasons?

"Yes the mole has gone," he says. Did he have it removed? "No, not at all," Qazi shoots back. "It fell off on its own. I would keep touching it, and during the shooting of Fame Gurukul's finale episode, it came off. In fact, I was bleeding a lot due to it."

In an earlier interview (hitList, September 14) Qazi had said, "I started getting this wart-like growth that resulted in a mole about six months ago. 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 was. My journey to Fame Gurukul began with the mole in June. 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."

So how come there are no scars on his face? "It came off on its own; that's why. I guess it was lucky for me. I won the title and its purpose was served," he says.

At present, along with Ruprekha, Qazi's busy promoting their music album Qazi, Ruprekha - Jodi No 1, released by Sony BMG Music. It has lyrics by Sameer and music by Prem Pal and Hardip Sidhu. Qazi looks forward to a career in acting as well as performing on stage. "I will do playback for myself, not for anyone else," he emphasises.

Source:Midday

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#109

Qazi Touqeer

He's a born star and he knows it. This 20-year-old has loads of attitude and oozes phenomenal confidence for one so young. But that's probably what worked in Fame Gurukul winner Qazi Tauqeer's favour. "I knew I could do it. When I saw the ad, I told my family that I was going to apply for the contest. I was destined to win the show. I had the support of the public," he says. Tell him that the judges didn't think too highly of him and he cheekily retorts, "Sometimes even when a critic rips a film apart, it still goes on to become a box office success, doesn't it? My situation is very similar to this. The public voted me back eight times."

Right now the cool dude is riding high on his success, "I have been getting fan mails from all over the world, from countries like US, Bangladesh, France, Italy and even Nigeria. There are girls writing love-letters to me in blood. It is unbelievable," says the youngster who tells you upfront that he wants to become an actor. He is quick to tell you that, "I have no time for girls in my life. Even when I am with a girl, I am always talking about my plans of becoming an actor, so none of these girls take me seriously. They think I am mad."

That he is mad about acting becomes more than evident as his conversation is peppered with constant references to his original dream. "I remember performing at a show at the Mughal Gardens in Srinagar three years back, on April 13 to be precise. It was the festival of Baisakhi. I sang and danced to numbers from Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's films and the crowd went gaga over my performance," he proudly states. Needless to say he is a big fan of Shah Rukh Khan, but ask him whether he would like to meet the star and he retorts with his characteristic cheekiness, "Right now I don't even get time to meet my parents, so how will I meet Shah Rukh Khan?"

If he sounds cocky and conceited, you can just put it down to the brashness of youth. "I have a flair for singing. I want to be like Kishore Kumar, who was not a trained singer. He sang with passion. That's what I want to do. Sing from my heart." There is no stopping Qazi however. Ask him about his wonder years in Kashmir and he proudly tells you, "I've changed five schools because I was very naughty. I grew up in a joint family and we all live in a haveli. I remember being obsessed with acting since my childhood days" In order to brush up his acting skills, he roamed around the gardens of Kashmir with a video camera, practicing his art.

"Once I even went to PVR cinema in Delhi and posed as a TV reporter, quizzing people on their opinion about a movie. They all answered my questions earnestly and must have only realised the next day that they had been fooled," he laughs at the memory.

But before you dismiss him as a fun loving kid, a sensitive side emerges. Ask him about growing up amid all that turmoil and unrest and he says emotionally, "Kashmir is home to me. I'm here in Mumbai lekin Kashmir ki mitti aur Dal lake ki khusbhoo bahut yaad aati hai. I don't know much about politics but whatever is happening is not nice. Innocent people are getting killed and I wish that would stop. It hurts when you hear about or watch bloodshed. It is so unnecessary and futile."

He cheers up quickly enough to tell you that, "The people of Kashmir are my biggest fans. They are very proud of me and waiting for me to visit home." And when will that be? "As soon as I can find time," he says. One thing's for sure, Qazi Tauqeer is here to stay.

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arshi

@ar$hi

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

#110

I AM: Qazi Tauqeer

Anubha Sawhney

</>

My first brush with spirituality happened when I was a young boy. My father, a lawyer, once visited Ajmer-e-Sharif and came back a changed person.

For seven months he stayed out of the house, lived on chapatti and water and searched for the Ultimate Truth. When he returned, he gave up all things material and started living a simple life. Everyday he would organise a langar at home where the poor were fed free of cost.

The practice continues till today. Soon enough, I began helping out with the langar. While other boys my age were charting out a career plan, I was busy feeding the hungry.

My father's friends began telling him I was wasting my youth. He replied that I would get what none of their sons could even dream of. I guess he has been proved right.

I have always been a dreamer. But I have also believed in the power of my dreams. I don't put my faith in lucky charms and magic spells. I think if your heart is clean, good fortune can never elude you. If you play the game honestly, you are bound to win.

If you respect others, they will respect you. If you're hardworking, nobody can stop you from getting ahead. And if you're talented, nothing can keep you down.

I am just 20 years old — I don't really have a view on the problems in Kashmir. But they do make me sad. I'm not a politician, just a singer — don't ask me for solutions to violence in my home state. I support peace — that's the only way I see out of this mess.

For me, personally, peace comes from talking to people, from joking around with my friends, from making those around me smile. My philosophy towards life is simple — I play to win. And if I don't win, I know a bigger victory awaits me elsewhere.

source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1285903, curpg-1.cms

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