Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav and former BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla have landed on the same reality show, as contestants on the second season of Rise & Fall, which began streaming on Prime Video and MX Player on Saturday.
Ahead of the season, Poonawalla posted a 48-second Instagram Reel with Tej Pratap, set to Yo Yo Honey Singh and Diljit Dosanjh's track "Panga." In the reel, Poonawalla describes their equation as "when Patna meets Pune," to which Tej Pratap responds, "when Mumbai meets Bihar." Both then promise "dhamaal," "bawaal" and, eventually, "kamaal" from their time on the show, a line Poonawalla has also repeated separately, saying, "There will be challenges, there will be disagreements, there will be fun. But I think when Patna meets Pune, dhamaal hoga, bawaal hoga, aur phir kamaal hoga."
The reel also touches on their religious beliefs, with both saying "Jai Sanatan." Tej Pratap, previously known as a Krishna devotee, describes himself as a follower of Lord Shiva, while Poonawalla says he is a devotee of Lord Hanuman.
Extending the theme to the game itself, Tej Pratap jokes that Poonawalla will play "Bajrang Bali" on the show while he takes on the role of "Ram." Poonawalla has said the two share "a strong connection with the Sanatan roots," while clarifying that once inside the game, each contestant will play for themselves.
