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 | |  The day has finally arrived when the Fame Jodi will be announced. The three finalists, Ruprekha Banerjee, Qazi Touqeer and Rex D'Souza, have their own views about who should become the Fame Jodi, and you have yours. But before the results are announced on Wednesday night, the three contestants tell Patcy N about things you don't get to see on screen: about their families, what they miss and their future plans. Read on. Photographs: Jewella C Miranda | Design: Uday Kuckian < Next > |
 | | 'I've never had a girlfriend' Qazi Touqeer, 20, from Kashmir My mother Rukhsana is a government school teacher. My brother Tauseef is studying in class XI. My father M A Qazi was a lawyer and also ran an engineering college. But he gave up everything for Sufism. We live in a joint family. I was doing my first year BSc [bachelor of science] in Srinagar. I used to play cricket, and my parents spent a lot of money on that. Then, I told them I wanted to be an actor and a singer. They thought I had gone mad! When I heard about Fame Gurukul, I told my mother that if I don't qualify in the Delhi auditions, I would never go back to Srinagar; I would stay in Delhi. We have a house there. That's the kind of passion I have for acting. I am a performer. Now, I have reached this stage and I'm very happy. Some day, I hope to be in a movie in which I will sing and act as well. Like Kishore Kumar and Sonu Nigam. Actually, maybe better than Sonu Nigam. | |
| If I don't make it to the Fame Jodi, so what? They will become stars, I will be a superstar! People love me so much that Javed [Akhtar] saab said that I have a big responsibility on my shoulders. The number of votes that I get is unbelievable. People tell me I have made a record on reality television. I don't feel any pressure. I just want to perform for masti and for the janta. They have brought me here, and I want to perform for them. But I want to complete my education because in my family, everybody is educated. My father's sister is a bank manager, my aunt is a lecturer, my cousin is a doctor. I am very naughty. I had nicknamed Sandeep Batra [a contestant who was eliminated in an earlier round] 'Leechi' because he was asking for leechi juice in front of the camera! There was another occasion when once, the police confronted some friends on the road. I went to the police station and told them that my father was justice so-and-so. They were so scared that they gave me tea and Samosas. I've watched 27 movies in a month. I saw Veer-Zaara seven times in a week! Then, I started acting like Shah Rukh Khan for days. I am mad about films. I've never had a girlfriend. But yes, once I had a crush on a girl in Srinagar. I proposed to her but she thought I was a nikamma. I don't have a crush on any girl in the Gurukul, roti ki kasam! I miss everyone at home -- my father, my mother, my dada, my dadi, everyone. I miss the food, I miss Dal Lake, I miss the cold weather and clean and cold water. I miss my friends. I think Kashmir is paradise. Mumbai is also good but for the three months we have been here we didn't go out. I won't call it a prison because we are learning something here. To reach this position has not been easy. But if you are passionate about something, you can do it. I'm speaking for myself. I worship three idols in my life -- Rabindranath Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan because these people have struggled and come up from the bottom and reached a certain position. My favourite contestant is Rex. He's everybody's favourite! |
 | | 'I don't think my father's happy with the dresses I wear' Ruprekha Banerjee, 21, from Kolkata My mother Kabita Banerjee is a housewife and father Pradeep Banerjee has a catering and decorating business. We also have a sweet shop, which my uncle runs. I was in my second year BSc when Fame Gurukul started. My life has changed now. I've become more mature. My dad has always wanted me to sing. Now, he wants me to be part of the Fame Jodi. I don't think he's happy with the dresses I wear here. But he knows that this is my life now and this is how I will be. The good thing is that he has not spoken about my costumes yet. My mother is different in these matters. She wants me to enjoy my life and wear all types of clothes. My parents supported me when they learnt that I would have to leave Kolkata and stay in Mumbai for three months. I had told them earlier that I wanted to go to Mumbai one day, and that they should start collecting money for my trip! I couldn't come because I wanted to complete my education first. | |
| But when I got this opportunity from Fame Gurukul, I didn't want to let it go. When I came from Kolkata, I had just recovered from a neural problem. I am still taking homeopathy medicines. I miss my dad as I am very close to him. When I sit with the harmonium, I remember him the most because he was my only inspiration at home. My dad wanted me to be a singer. If I am out of the contest, I will stay back in Mumbai and struggle. I think I will get work, as people recognise me now. |
 | | 'I don't act like Qazi. He always pretends' Rex D'Souza, 23, from Mumbai My father Paul D'Souza is in the construction business and mother Sangeeta is a housewife. My sister Librina is studying in class XII. I have completed my second year BCom and will do my last year through correspondence. My mom has been very supportive, she always sends SMSes to vote me in, but my father wanted me to get a job. I used to work at a call centre. He did not want me to take that up as a full time career. I have worked in [comedian] Johnny Lever's group too. We have become very popular, thanks to Fame Gurukul. The first thing I will do after this is that I will learn music. I get a lot of barbs that I am not a trained singer. Qazi is the only one who supports me, because even he is untrained. I like to tease Ruprekha. I keep telling her, 'Rupu, I love you,' and she gets very irritated. She reminds me that it is live on camera and everybody is watching, but still I harass her a lot. | |
| Once, we made the girls have a boxing match. Ruprekha was not ready to wear shorts, so I told her that she did not have the spirit to do anything in life, and even make it to the Fame Jodi. I coaxed her so much that she finally wore shorts and won the boxing match! I miss my younger sister Tisha very much. She is my adopted sister. She's actually my mausi's daughter whom my family has adopted. My winning card is that I relate to the common man. If someone from the audience gives me a flying kiss, I return it. But I am not like Qazi. He has tremendous support from the audience. I don't act like him, he always pretends. Qazi <>ajeeb sa character hai! But he's also my favourite. Earlier, we used to share a room, along with Amit. We called our group the Dil Chahta Hai group. My other plus point is my smile. I always smile. My minus point is I am fat. I'm working on that but here, you cannot work out. Here, you only eat, sleep and do a lot of work! I am missing home a lot. I want to meet my mother because whenever she comes here, we're on camera. I want to go home and relax. I want to meet my friends. I party a lot and I'm missing that. |
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