Swara Bhasker and Shehzad Poonawalla had a face-off on Rise & Fall.
Bhasker invoked the years of trolling the former BJP spokesperson had levied on her.
Rise & Fall Season 2 streams daily on Prime Video.
Actor Swara Bhasker finally settled an eight-year score with Shehzad Poonawalla on Rise & Fall Season 2, confronting the former BJP spokesperson over his alleged history of online trolling. Proving their rift transcended basic reality TV strategy, Bhasker called out Poonawalla’s refusal to save her, questioning his game plan in the tower and his alliance with Gautam Gulati despite her past support.
Even as Karan Patel cautioned that the move could prove fatal to his game, Poonawalla stood firm, defending it as a calculated risk. Sparks flew further when Bhasker publicly thanked Gautam for taking a tough stand, prompting Poonawalla to interject and claim credit for keeping her in the game.
When Shehzad urged her on the reality show to keep others out of their dispute and brought up her vote for Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, Swara hit back, “Why should I listen to you?” before cutting deeper: “You have trolled me for eight years.”
Though Poonawalla seemed poised to apologize, Swara refused to back down or drop the issue.
The confrontation capped off a chaotic episode featuring host Virender Sehwag’s surprise triple eviction and Manish Kashyap's crowning as ‘King of the Basement.’ Poonawalla banished Manish and Sonam Malik to the Basement based on Gautam’s rankings. Sonam took swipes at Gautam for the betrayal, though he insisted the move prioritized the Penthouse Rulers' strategy. Attempts by the Rulers to soften the Workers' treatment of Sonam backfired, only deepening the Basement crew's distrust. Sehwag later turned up the heat, grilling Gautam, Priyanka, and Poonawalla over their gameplay, alliances, and bitter rivalries.
Addressing her dynamic with Poonawalla, Bhasker also clarified that while she backed him, he was finally responsible for his own battles, noting she often employed mind games when dealing with housemates.
Tensions accelerated when Poonawalla labelled Priyanka a ‘vamp’ during a debate over Gautam’s past comments on female actors. Host Virender Sehwag immediately intervened, demanding he withdraw the insult. Though Shehzad attempted to justify his language, Sehwag pressed him on the issue.
Produced by Banijay Asia, Rise & Fall Season 2 streams daily on Prime Video at 12 PM with Sehwag at the helm.
