Qazi Touqeer’s appearance on Bigg Boss 20 has once again drawn attention to the singing reality show Fame Gurukul, where he became a household name in 2005. The programme also featured Arijit Singh, who was eliminated before reaching the top five. Yet, while their careers took very different paths after the show, the two contestants developed a friendship that has lasted for nearly two decades.

Arijit, who is known for maintaining a low profile away from his professional life, has recently shown his support for Qazi’s Bigg Boss journey. Qazi, meanwhile, has repeatedly spoken warmly about his old friend while interacting with fellow contestants on the reality show.

One of the most revealing stories from their early years concerns a prediction Arijit made about Qazi’s future. After winning ₹10 lakh on another reality show, Arijit reportedly told Qazi that he had the potential to become a major Indian pop star, even comparing the scale of that potential to Michael Jackson.

Qazi once supported a teenage Arijit

The friendship between the two began during their Fame Gurukul days. At the time, Arijit was only 17 and was still finding his feet as a performer.

An old clip from the programme has recently resurfaced on social media, showing Qazi comforting Arijit after the young singer became emotional on camera. Qazi had also voted to save Arijit during the competition.

In the footage, Qazi encourages him not to lose confidence and tells him to remain strong. He also explains that his vote would not be based solely on a contestant’s performance. According to Qazi, he would consider the overall qualities of the participants before making his decision.

Qazi also acknowledged that Arijit could become a serious threat to the other contestants if he continued in the competition, but said he welcomed the challenge and therefore voted for him.

That moment became an early sign of the bond that would later develop between the two singers and performers.

Arijit’s little-known reality show victory

Although Arijit did not make the top five of Fame Gurukul, his journey in music did not stop there. He later appeared on another Sony reality show, Dus Ka Dus, which brought together contestants associated with Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul.

Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Qazi recalled that the programme did not achieve the same level of popularity as some other reality shows of the period. Nevertheless, Arijit emerged as its winner and received ₹10 lakh in prize money.

According to Qazi, the money had a practical purpose for Arijit. After winning, the singer contacted him several times and eventually invited him home. When they met, Arijit told Qazi that he had used the prize money to buy equipment for setting up a studio.

It was during one of those conversations that Arijit shared an ambitious prediction about Qazi’s future.

‘You can become India’s Michael Jackson’

Qazi recalled that Arijit was around 22 at the time and had a surprisingly clear vision of what his friend could achieve.

Arijit reportedly told him that international music had stars such as Michael Jackson and other major rock and pop performers, and that India could also have an artist of that stature. He believed Qazi could become a major pop star.

Qazi, however, did not take the advice particularly seriously.

He was older than Arijit and was focused on building a career in acting. His attention was firmly fixed on films, and he wanted to establish himself as an actor rather than pursue the path Arijit was suggesting.

According to Qazi, Arijit insisted that he was not joking and genuinely believed Qazi had the potential to succeed as a pop performer. Arijit even offered him opportunities to perform on shows, but Qazi said he did not pursue them seriously because of his commitment to acting.

Years later, Qazi came to understand how significant Arijit’s judgement had been.

Qazi says he never envied Arijit’s success

Arijit eventually became one of India’s most prominent playback singers, while Qazi followed a different professional path. That contrast has led people to compare the two, particularly because Qazi had won Fame Gurukul while Arijit had exited the competition earlier.

Qazi said such comparisons have never made him resentful.

He recalled people telling him to look at the heights Arijit had reached despite not winning Fame Gurukul, while questioning where Qazi’s own career had taken him. Qazi said he always responded by expressing happiness for Arijit’s achievements and satisfaction with his own life and accomplishments.

Asked whether he had ever felt even slightly disappointed that he had not reached the same level of success, Qazi said he had not felt jealous “even 1%”.

‘Tum Hi Ho’ made Qazi realise Arijit had arrived

Qazi particularly remembers hearing Arijit’s voice in Tum Hi Ho, the song that became a major turning point in the singer’s career.

He recalled hearing the song on MTV late at night and recognising the voice almost immediately. He then called Arijit to confirm that it was indeed him.

According to Qazi, Arijit seemed almost unaware at that stage of how dramatically the song was changing his career. When Arijit asked whether Qazi liked the song, his old friend told him that he had become a star and that his life was about to change.

Qazi said he was excited enough to expect Arijit to visit him the following day. That meeting never happened because the singer suddenly became occupied with interviews and a succession of new songs.

As Qazi put it, that was when “Arijit became Arijit” — a reflection of how quickly the singer’s career accelerated.

From technical learning to becoming a major singer

Qazi also spoke about Arijit’s determination during his early years. Before achieving widespread fame, Arijit worked with composer Pritam to learn more about music programming and the technical aspects of production.

For Qazi, this showed that Arijit’s abilities extended beyond singing. His willingness to learn the technical side of music, combined with his vocal talent, helped shape the artist he would eventually become.

Despite the scale of Arijit’s later success, Qazi believes his friend has remained remarkably unaffected by fame. He pointed to Arijit’s simple lifestyle, saying the singer could still be seen riding a scooter and wearing casual clothes such as slippers and track trousers rather than presenting himself as a conventional celebrity.

Their friendship has also continued into the present. After Qazi entered Bigg Boss 20, Arijit used his personal X account, WhoAmI, to publicly support his old friend. He joked that he would have to watch Bigg Boss for the first time because his “rockstar Qazi” was taking part.

Nearly 20 years after they first met on Fame Gurukul, their relationship remains a reminder that reality-show rivalries can sometimes develop into lasting friendships. More strikingly, Arijit’s early belief in Qazi’s potential shows how differently two people can view a talent’s future — especially when the person being encouraged does not yet see the same possibilities for himself.