Mumbai: Political analyst Shehzad Poonawalla has emerged as the winner of ‘Rise and Fall’ Season 2, beating Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Gautam Gulati in the finale.
Along with the title, he took home Rs 35 lakh in prize money, which he pledged to donate towards flood relief efforts in Bihar and Assam.
“The Rs 35 lakh I have won, I will be giving that to the CM fund in Bihar and Assam for flood relief,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
“When I joined the show, that (floods) was happening. Obviously, both the governments have done a great job in handling that situation. But they can use it for some other disaster, or something else. I want them to use it for the public interest. So, I will definitely give that to them,” he added.
Looking back at his stint on ‘Rise and Fall’, Shehzad described himself as an underdog.
“All the contestants on the show except one or two were like the OGs of the domain, so we were like the underdogs. Contrary to the perception that politicians are strong in most areas, one of them left in two weeks. Manish couldn’t do much or go far. I have scored a win for the media/political/non-industry community. The other 5 finalists were from the entertainment reality space,” he said.
Shehzad also acknowledged that he had underestimated some fellow contestants and revealed that he had contemplated quitting the show on several occasions.
“I did underestimate a few of my fellow contestants. I have been in politics for 18-19 years. The great thing about the art of politics is that you have to learn to deal with all kinds of people. As for asking to quit the show, I agree that was disrespectful. Every time I said I wanted to quit the show, better sense prevailed. In life, the best solution to a problem is not reacting right then but to let time pass. And in this game, things changed quickly. The show taught me to be patient,” he added.
Hosted by Virender Sehwag, the second season of ‘Rise and Fall’ began with 15 contestants entering the Tower. After weeks of competition, Shehzad emerged victorious.