Sep 26, 2026 8:59pm IST
‘Rise And Fall’ Season 2 Review: Shehzad Poonawalla, Swara Bhasker, Siwet Tomar Set The Tone For Explosive Drama
The premiere of “Rise And Fall” Season 2 saw new host Virrender Sehwag introduce the 15 contestants who will form alliances, navigate rivalries and compete for the show’s hefty prize money. To begin with, the casting is one of the show’s biggest strengths. From familiar faces like Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Karan Patel to Swara Bhasker and political personalities such as Shehzad Poonawalla, this is a striking contestant line-up. Virrender Sehwag, one of India’s most explosive batsmen, seems like a fitting choice as the season’s host for two reasons. It is evident that he has done extensive research on all the contestants and has an appetite for banter, which can get downright messy in the reality TV show space.
“Rise And Fall” Season 2 kicks off with TV actor Karan Patel and reality-show stars Siwet Tomar and Niharika Tiwari taking the stage. The trio gets into a long debate over OG TV actors having fans while Gen-Z reality stars have “followers”. Tiwari and Tomar come close to a quarrel in front of Sehwag, who appears equal parts amused and bored during the exchange. Viewers, too, may be left wondering whether the spat was deliberately engineered to set the stage for an epic showdown later.
Things get more interesting when the political personalities enter the fray. Shehzad Poonawalla and YouTuber Manish Kasyap, also known as Tripurari Kumar Tiwari, prove that reality TV is very much up their alley from the word go. From one-liners to snarky comments, the two promise enough drama to put several Gen-Z reality stars to shame. With the makers seemingly giving contestants plenty of room to bring their personal histories into conversations, viewers shouldn’t be surprised if arguments escalate into major fights.
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Tej Pratap Yadav is more entertaining than his two political counterparts, who seem to carry considerable baggage into the show. The independent politician does not hesitate to flirt with Irina Rudakova. Viewers could see a comic-romantic track develop on the show if this track continues.
OG reality-show audiences will be happy to see Gautam Gulati, whose swag remains intact. In the first episode, he comes across as cordial, observant and unbiased, which could appeal to viewers looking for a more measured presence amid the chaos. Between the TV stars and political personalities, however, the contestants with “Roadies” and “Splitsvilla” backgrounds seem somewhat lost in “Rise And Fall” Season 2. Their conversations around betrayals, friendships and past controversies feel familiar.
On a brighter note, the “Roadies” and “Splitsvilla” contestants seem genuinely curious about the squabbles involving their political co-contestants. Raj Grover and Anish Bhagat, two digital content creators, largely remain silent observers throughout the episode.
“Rise And Fall” Season 2 starts on an engaging note. The only glitch seems to be the contestants’ baggage from the past. They have no qualms about discussing controversies or incidents unrelated to the show. While that makes for interesting television, it could eventually overshadow the central premise of “Rise And Fall” if Sehwag does not rein things in.
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With Siwet Tomar openly expressing his displeasure over Swara Bhasker’s recent comments and Poonawalla bringing Bhasker’s husband into the conversation, the verbal sparring could intensify considerably as the season progresses.
The show has been mounted on a grand scale, with the penthouse looking every bit like a luxurious residence. The contestants are also dressed stylishly for the premiere, with Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, Sara Gurpal, Gautam Gulati and Kaira Anu standing out. The camera work is another plus, capturing the contestants’ expressions effectively, which adds to the mood and drama of the show.
“Rise And Fall” Season 2 has started on a promising note with a healthy dose of content, chaos and drama that make reality television addictive.
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