Qazi Touqeer won Fame Gurukul, India’s version of Fame Academy, along with Ruprekha Banerjee in 2005. Qazi had no formal training before Fame Gurukul. He hails from Kashmir, and can sing in Kashmiri, Hindi and Urdu languages. Almost 20 years ago, he received massive love of fans and was voted to be the winner of Fame Gurukul. In Week 1 of Bigg Boss 20, Qazi topped the rankings, ahead of contestants like Scout OP, Gullu, Kanika Mann and Arishfa Khan. After getting appreciated by host Salman Khan on the show, let’s find out more about ‘I am a rockstar, baby…aauu!’ Qazi Touqueer.
Who is Qazi Touqeer?
Kashmir-based singer Qazi Touqeer was one of the most recognisable and famous contestants along with Arijit Singh. His father was a lawyer who later turned to Sufism, while his mother worked as a teacher and took early retirement. His uncle, Qazi Rafi, was also a Kashmiri singer, and according to some accounts his brother, Qazi Touseef, is an entrepreneur based in Mumbai.
Qazi currently splits his time across Kashmir, Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai.
On Bigg Boss 20, he’s opened up emotionally about an old friendship: Qazi has spoken about Arijit Singh with visible emotion, recalling his passion, discipline and their six-hour music sessions together.
In 2009, Qazi featured on Sarkaar Ki Duniya, a reality show that placed contestants on a remote island and tested them through challenges. In 2015, he appeared in the music video ‘Afghan Jalebi (Ya Baba)’ from Phantom, featuring Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan.
Qazi’s Educational Background
Qazi attended Minto Circle School in Raj Bagh, Srinagar, and completed his schooling up to the 12th standard before shifting his focus entirely to entertainment. Notably, he had no formal training in music before entering Fame Gurukul — his natural stage presence carried him instead of classical grounding.
