Shehzad Poonawalla makes reality TV debut after BJP exit
Former BJP spokesperson joins Rise & Fall Season 2, beginning a new chapter away from politics
Shehzad Poonawalla is swapping political debates for reality television.
The former BJP spokesperson has joined the cast of ‘Rise & Fall Season 2’, marking his first appearance in a reality show. His entry was confirmed in a new promo released ahead of the show’s second season.
The move comes about a month after Poonawalla left the BJP, bringing a new turn to a public career that has largely revolved around politics, television debates and political commentary.
Poonawalla resigned from the BJP in August after what he described as “long and hard contemplation”. He said pressing personal and financial circumstances had influenced his decision and that he planned to move into the private sector.
At the time, he said leaving the party organisation did not mean distancing himself from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the BJP’s ideology.
Now, his next public chapter will play out in front of cameras of a very different kind.
Rise & Fall Season 2 will premiere on September 26 on Prime Video. The show will release episodes daily at noon and will also be available through the MX Player Android app.
Poonawalla will be among the first four contestants announced for the new season. Actor Swara Bhasker, television actor Karan Patel and reality-show personality Priyanka Chahar Choudhary are also part of the initial lineup. The full season will feature 15 contestants.
The new season will also have a new host. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag will take over from Ashneer Grover, who hosted the first season.
The show’s format revolves around power and strategy. Contestants are divided between two groups — Rulers and Workers. Rulers live in a luxury penthouse and enjoy greater control over the game, while Workers live in a basement and compete for the chance to move up.
The positions can change as the competition progresses, making alliances, decisions and strategy central to the game.
That format appears to have appealed to Poonawalla, who has described the show as an interesting challenge for his “new innings”. He said the contestants would bring different perspectives and that the game would require participants to back their words with their choices.
His transition to reality TV has also brought a lighter side to the story.
While talking about the six-week stint on the show, Poonawalla joked that he was glad he would not have to worry about paying rent during that period. The comment came after he had spoken publicly about the financial pressures that contributed to his decision to leave politics.
Poonawalla’s political journey has taken several turns.
He began his political career with the Congress as a young man before leaving the party in 2017. He later joined the BJP and went on to become one of its national spokespersons, regularly appearing on television debates and commenting on political issues.
His departure from the BJP came after several years as a prominent public defender of the party. In August, he submitted his resignation again after the party had initially asked him to reconsider his decision.
His move into OTT entertainment now puts him in an entirely different setting. Instead of political arguments and television news panels, he will have to navigate challenges, alliances and changing power equations inside a reality-show house.
The casting also gives the second season a mix of personalities from politics, films and television.
Swara Bhasker brings a film background, Karan Patel is a familiar face from Indian television, while Priyanka Chahar Choudhary has experience in reality television. Poonawalla brings a political and public-speaking background to the group.
The first season of Rise & Fall premiered in India in 2025, with actor Arjun Bijlani winning the competition. The show’s second season is now returning with Sehwag as host and a new group of contestants.
For Poonawalla, the reality show represents a clear change of pace. After years of being seen mainly through the lens of politics, he will now be introduced to viewers as a contestant competing for power and survival in a completely different kind of public arena.
His entry is also likely to draw attention because of the timing. His BJP exit is still recent, while his new television appearance begins just weeks later.
Whether he finds the reality-show environment as comfortable as a television debate will become clearer once the competition begins.
