Heart-to-heart with Fame's Qazi Touqeer

Originally posted by: barbie

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<TD align=middle><FONT face=Verdana color=#4f4f4f size=1>Qazi Touqeer</TD></TR></T></TABLE>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…

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>June 2, 2005Too 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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Sufi influenceI 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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Bachpan se heroAt 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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Unaffected by J&K troubleBomb 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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Female attentionHonestly, 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.

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>No playback singerWhy 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.

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Qazi's faves1. Non-veg food: That's something I can't do without. No meal is complete without it. Tandoori chicken and shammi kababs are what I relish.2. Jackets: Can't leave home without one; Kashmir's weather lends itself to it. But now Qazi and jackets go together.3. Michael Jackson and Ricky Martin: My idols for their sheer performances, while I also like Sonu Nigam when he is on stage.

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