Shehzad Poonawalla vows to 'rise again' after being thrashed on Rise & Fall 2

Shehzad Poonawalla has responded after a physical altercation with Siwet Tomar on Rise & Fall 2. Thanking viewers for their support, he said the incident would not break his spirit.

In Short

• Poonawalla said he remained composed and respectful during the confrontation
• His statement referenced family loss and ideological differences with his brother
• The clash followed a heated argument involving actor Swara Bhasker

Shehzad Poonawalla has a message for those who watched him being physically attacked on Rise & Fall 2. He will “rise again”. Following his altercation with fellow contestant Siwet Tomar, which left him with a torn kurta and triggered a wave of reactions online, the former BJP spokesperson broke his silence. Thanking fans for their “overwhelming love and support”, Shehzad said he chose to respond to the incident with maturity and respect, adding that attempts to silence or push him down would not break his spirit.

Poonawalla shared a statement on X on Monday night addressing the controversy. He said he had chosen to maintain his composure during the confrontation and continued to treat the other contestants with respect despite being physically attacked.

The statement also referred to Poonawalla's personal life, saying he lost his father as a child and has had differences with his brother over their opposing ideological views. It added that Poonawalla had entered the reality show to participate, work and earn a living.

“Shehzad lost his father when he was just a child. His mother is growing older, and he doesn’t share an easy relationship with his brother because of their ideological differences. He came to the show to play, work and earn his livelihood, yet you chose to abuse and attack him physically from behind. Even when you provoked him with your words, Shehzad chose to respond with maturity and treated everyone with respect. That says more about you than it ever could about him,” the statement read.

The post further said that while he could be abused, silenced or pushed down, his spirit could not be defeated.

“He will rise again, every single day, stronger than before,” the statement read.

Poonawalla also thanked viewers for the support he received following the incident and ended his post with “Jai Hind”.

What happened on Rise & Fall?

The episode began with the Ultimate Ruler race, which would decide who got the most power in the Tower and remained safe from the week’s Fall. Before the race, the Rulers were asked to name the weakest decision-maker. While several contestants, including Shehzad, chose Siwet, Karan Patel picked Shehzad.

After Siwet was eliminated from the race, he got one last chance to name a Ruler he considered weak. He chose Shehzad.

Things got worse between the two when Siwet was later seen talking to Swara Bhasker, despite previously saying that he would not speak to her. Shehzad questioned the sudden change, and their argument soon turned physical.

Siwet grabbed Shehzad by the neck and pushed him to the ground, leaving him injured and with torn clothes. Poonawalla was later seen showing his torn kurta on camera. As physical violence is not allowed on the show, Siwet was asked to leave.

Videos of the incident soon surfaced online, with the confrontation between the contestants drawing considerable attention from viewers.

The incident has since become one of the major talking points surrounding the reality show.

- Ends