Tej’s Decision Puts Kajal in Danger, Priyanka–Shehzad Clash Again: The First Nominations Get Personal on Rise and Fall Season 2

The first nominations have been received, and all of a sudden every alliance in the Tower has an air of uncertainty around it. With the first Lift of Judgement, the Workers’ safety is placed in the hands of fellow contestants, while the Rulers decide who gets the power to send someone towards elimination. For Manish Kashyap and Gautam Gulati, that power lands with Sara Gurpal. While Gautam refuses to pull Manish down simply to lift himself up, and Manish acknowledges Gautam’s game, Sara’s call ultimately puts Manish in the nomination zone. But the first nomination quickly becomes about more than who survives, as Manish and Tej Pratap Yadav clash over privilege, struggle and their very different journeys, with the Rulers making it clear where their allegiance lies.

If the first Lift tests loyalty, the next one starts exposing just how quickly it can change. Kaira Anu and Niharika Tiwari enter the equation, while Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Shehzad Poonawalla’s already-fractured dynamic erupts once again in the Penthouse, with Raj Grover pulled into the confrontation. The Rulers hand the Lift to Anish Bhagat, who chooses Kaira. And when Sara, Anish and Kajal Raghwani are left in the final equation, the power comes back to Tej, who initially chooses Sara before switching his decision to Kajal. Kajal had played a part in making Tej the Ultimate Ruler; now, that very throne had given him the power to turn on her. Her reaction says it all, as she breaks down and delivers a pointed take on the dynamics she has witnessed, saying, “Yeh Hindi industry wale mere liye koi maayne nahi rakhte… yeh gaali-galoch karne wale mere liye koi maayne nahi rakhte.  Aur hindi wale na yehi hai, isliye pasand nahi karti main- chaaplus log ek dusre ki chaatne mein lage rehte hain.” Niharika’s reminder that she too belongs to the Hindi industry only adds another spark to the moment. When the person you helped rise is the one who puts you in danger, can that alliance ever be the same again? With the first round of nominations now complete, Manish Kashyap, Kaira Anu, Kajal Raghwani and Anish Bhagat find themselves in the danger zone- four contestants, each arriving at the chopping block through a very different turn of the game.

But there is barely any time to process one fallout before another kalesh takes over the Penthouse. The ‘manchild’ versus ‘gold digger’ clash between Priyanka and Shehzad reignites, with the two once again going at each other as tensions spill across the room. Tej picks up his flute in the middle of the showdown, quite literally trying to play his way through the chaos, but the mood takes another turn when Priyanka turns her attention to Tej’s choices and the people he surrounds himself with. The confrontation pushes Tej and Shehzad to walk out, while Swara attempts to diffuse the situation and Shehzad’s frustration peaks as he tries to get the door opened. Priyanka later clarifies her deen imaan reference, but by then, another Penthouse equation has already been pushed to the brink.

With the Tower’s loyalties looking increasingly fragile, Tej puts Gautam, Niharika and Sara to the test, giving them a chance to impress the Ultimate Ruler. Gautam steps in as Tej’s personal fitness coach, Sara creates and performs a song for him, while Niharika brings her teekhi awaaz to the Rulers. Even this attempt to win Tej’s favour comes with its own spark, as Kaira and Gautam clash yet again, before Tej attempts to bring some calm back into the Tower with a yoga session.

The first nominations may have put only a few contestants in danger, but they have already shaken the Tower’s equations – with loyalties tested, old rivalries reignited and the Ultimate Ruler’s decisions leaving their mark. With Tej now holding the power to decide who rises and who falls, just how much can the Tower take before another alliance breaks?

Produced by Banijay Asia, Rise and Fall Season 2 is hosted by Virender Sehwag and streams free, exclusively on Prime Video, with fresh episodes every day at 12 noon. The show is available to audiences through MX Player by Prime Video on the MX Player Android app, as well as across mobile devices, Connected TVs, the Amazon shopping app, Prime Video and Fire TV.