Qazi Touqeer is a singer from Srinagar, Kashmir. In October 2005 he was declared joint winner of Sony's Fame Gurukul, and he is now a contestant on Bigg Boss 20. He entered on the premiere on 6 September 2026. It is his first big TV appearance in about 21 years. Searches spiked between 16 and 19 October after a controversy involving fellow contestant ScoutOP and comments from Salman Khan on Weekend Ka Vaar.
Below you'll find his background, a dated timeline of his time in the house, his status as of the latest coverage, and the three myths that keep coming up: Arijit Singh, "Afghan Jalebi" and dengue.
Qazi Touqeer at a glance
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Full name | Qazi Ahmed Touqeer |
| Hometown | Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Date of birth | Sources disagree: 4 June 1986 (Wikipedia) or 2 June 1985 (Filmibeat) |
| Age | About 40 |
| Known for | Joint winner of Fame Gurukul (2005) with Ruprekha Banerjee |
| Languages he sings in | Kashmiri, Hindi, Urdu |
| Current show | Bigg Boss 20 (Colors TV / JioHotstar, hosted by Salman Khan) |
| Catchphrase in the house | "I'm a rockstar, baby." |
Background: a Srinagar family with music in it
Qazi Touqeer was born and raised in Srinagar. His father, Mushtaq Ahmed Qazi, was a lawyer who later turned to Sufism. His mother, Syeda Rukhsana, is a teacher. Music also runs in the family. His uncle is the Kashmiri singer Qazi Rafi, and he has a younger brother, Qazi Touseef.
Even with that background, Qazi has said he had no formal music training before Fame Gurukul. That is a big part of his appeal. Many people see him as a raw talent from the Valley who made it to national TV on instinct.
Is Qazi Touqeer married?
Qazi has said he is married to Ifsa, a dentist nine years younger than him, and his brother has backed this up. No photos of her are public, though, and the details come mostly from one lower-profile source. Treat it as his own account, not a widely confirmed fact.
Qazi Touqeer and Fame Gurukul (2005)
Fame Gurukul aired on Sony in 2005. It was an academy-style singing reality show, and Qazi became one of its breakout faces. In October 2005 he and Ruprekha Banerjee were declared joint winners, and fans called them the "Fame Jodi". Wikipedia says he got about 2.5 crore paid SMS votes. That figure comes from a single source, so treat it as a rough number.
Did Qazi Touqeer beat Arijit Singh?
No. This is the most repeated claim about him, and it's wrong. Arijit Singh was a contestant in the same season but was eliminated before the finale. The two never faced each other in a final.
They are close friends, though. In 2026 Qazi visited Arijit's hometown, Jiaganj, and reports say they are planning a project together. No title or release date has been announced. If you follow Arijit, see our guide to the Arijit Singh India tour 2027 tickets.
After the win: albums, a shelved film and "Afghan Jalebi"
- Yeh Pal (Sony BMG, 2005–06): an album with Ruprekha Banerjee. Its songs include "Yeh Pal", "Karu Kya" and "Meri Mehbooba".
- Take Off (2008): his planned film debut. He injured his neck while rehearsing, and the film was later shelved.
- Sarkaar Ki Duniya (2009): he took part in this reality show.
- "Afghan Jalebi" (2015): he appeared on screen in this song from Phantom, but Asrar sang it, not Qazi. He later released his own cover, which is probably where the confusion comes from.
After that he stepped back from mainstream TV for most of two decades. That long break is why his Bigg Boss entry felt like a comeback to viewers who remembered 2005.
Qazi Touqeer on Bigg Boss 20: timeline
6 September: entry on the premiere
Qazi entered on the opening night of Bigg Boss 20. His "I'm a rockstar, baby" line quickly became his trademark in the house and on social media.
30 September (Week 4): first big nomination
He was one of 11 contestants nominated that week. Unofficial voting trends had him leading, ahead of ScoutOP and Yung DSA, and he survived. That was the first sign of how strong his fan vote is, especially from Kashmir.
About 5–7 October: the dengue scare
Rumours spread online that he had been taken out of the house because of dengue. On 7 October his team posted on Instagram that he was still inside: "Our rockstar Qazi has been dealing with fever for the past few days… We request everyone to stay calm, keep faith…"
A doctor examined him, and dengue was never officially confirmed. Actor Hina Khan praised his comeback but questioned presenting a contestant's illness as entertainment.
About 16–17 October: the ScoutOP ear-spitting row
This was the episode that drove the biggest search spike. According to reports, Qazi hugged ScoutOP, bit his ear and spat into it, then laughed about it with Gullu and Mahhi Vij. Nakul Dhull overheard and told ScoutOP. This led to a physical fight between Nakul and Gullu, and Nakul was evicted.
In the Weekend Ka Vaar promo, Salman Khan questioned Qazi directly:
"Qazi, isme humour kaise lagta hai?"
"Qazi stand lene ka tareeka bhi bhot conveniently badalta hai."
An important distinction: two different spitting stories
Social media has mixed up two separate allegations, so here they are side by side:
- Story 1: Qazi allegedly spitting in ScoutOP's ear. This is what Salman confronted Qazi about.
- Story 2: ScoutOP allegedly spitting into utensils. Glamsham reported on 19 October that Salman raised concerns about this, and fans shared clips said to show it.
These are different incidents with different people accused. If you see a post treating them as one event, it is wrong.
19 October: Salman backs him on "psychoplasty"
The same weekend, Salman backed Qazi in a separate argument over his use of the word "psychoplasty". A "Why Always Qazi?" message to his fans also trended. In one weekend he was criticised on one issue and defended on another, which is a big reason so many people are talking about him.
Why Kashmir can't stop talking about Qazi Touqeer
For many viewers in the Valley, Qazi on Bigg Boss isn't just another contestant. He is a Kashmiri voice on prime-time national TV. Local outlets such as Rising Kashmir and Deccan Herald have described his run as a "Kashmir's pride" moment.
The clearest sign is on the walls. Around 17–18 October, artists Shahraan Fayaz and Sahil Manzoor painted a mural of Qazi near Amar Singh College in Srinagar, and it has been drawing crowds. Together with his lead in the Week 4 voting trends, it shows how organised his home support is.
A few things explain that loyalty:
- Nostalgia: people who voted for him by SMS in 2005 are now voting for him on JioHotstar.
- Representation: very few Kashmiri entertainers get this kind of mainstream exposure.
- The underdog story: a singer with no formal training, a film lost to injury, a 21-year gap, and now a comeback.
Is Qazi Touqeer evicted? Current status in Bigg Boss 20
No. As of the latest available coverage (19 October 2026), Qazi Touqeer is still in the Bigg Boss 20 house and is not nominated this week.
The nominee list reported by Glamsham does not include him. It names Uditi, Amrapali Dubey, Manish Goel, Arishfa, Lovepreet, Gullu and Mary Kom. A Week 7 tracker also lists him as safe.
The next eviction result is due at Weekend Ka Vaar on 24–25 October. Since he isn't nominated, he isn't facing the public vote this round, but twists happen often on Bigg Boss. We found no reliable reports dated 20–22 October, so check the latest episode for anything that has changed since then. For more on what to watch, see our list of new OTT releases this week.
Myth vs fact: Qazi Touqeer
| Claim | Verdict |
|---|---|
| He beat Arijit Singh in the Fame Gurukul final | False. Arijit was eliminated before the finale. Qazi was joint winner with Ruprekha Banerjee. |
| He sang "Afghan Jalebi" | False. Asrar sang it. Qazi appeared in the video and later released a cover. |
| He was evicted because of dengue | False. He had a fever, a doctor examined him and he stayed in the house. Dengue was never confirmed. |
| Qazi spat into the utensils | Mixed up. The utensils allegation is about ScoutOP. Qazi's controversy is the ear incident. |
| His net worth is ₹X crore | Unverified. No reliable source gives a figure, so ignore viral numbers. |
What to watch next
Three things will shape the rest of his run. First, whether the ScoutOP row affects his votes when he is next nominated. Second, whether his Kashmir fan base keeps voting at Week 4 levels. Third, whether the Arijit Singh project is announced, which would add a lot of interest outside the show. We'll update this page after the 24–25 October Weekend Ka Vaar.
For more explainers on trending names and the reasons behind them, visit the KyunTrend homepage.