Rise and Fall: From Dhanashree Verma’s cheating accusations against Yuzvendra Chahal to Akriti Negi’s middle finger gesture- Top controversies

OTT-based reality show Rise and Fall has been winning hearts with its dramatic and entertaining episodes. Fans are enjoying the reality series as it inches closer to the grand finale. However, the show has stirred many controversial moments over time. The list includes Pawan Singh’s shocking exit, the Arbaz Patel hug controversy, Dhanashree Verma’s cheating accusations, and much more. Take a look:

Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh made headlines by abruptly exiting Rise and Fall mid-season. The popular Bhojpuri actor mentioned that he had to leave the show due to family and professional commitments. Fans truly enjoyed his presence on the show, and his sudden exit left them shocked. Pawan shared a close bond with fellow contestants Dhanashree Verma, Akriti Negi, and others.

Actress Nikki Tamboli entered Rise and Fall to express her support for boyfriend Arbaz Patel. However, she also addressed Arbaz’s controversial comments about Dhanashree Verma giving hugs to other male contestants. During a face-to-face interaction, she chided Dhanashree, accusing her of faking loyalty towards Arbaz. Nikki even called her “the most hated contestant of Rise and Fall.”

In one of the episodes, Splitsvilla X5 winner Akriti Negi reportedly directed a middle-finger gesture at actor Arjun Bijlani. It happened after the two got into a heated argument, and Akriti showed the gesture before walking out of the set. This left both the Rulers and the Workers shocked. The act was widely criticized by viewers and stirred debate about decorum on reality TV.

In one of the episodes, host Ashneer Grover stormed out of the penthouse during an argument with contestant Aarush Bhola. The contestant’s choice of words left Ashneer fuming, after which he walked out of the set. The clip went viral on social media, with fans reacting strongly to it. Many found Aarush’s behaviour disrespectful.

One of the most serious controversies emerged when Dhanashree Verma accused her ex-husband, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, of cheating just two months into their marriage. In a candid conversation on Rise and Fall, she mentioned how she “caught her former husband in just two months of marriage.” The statement stirred major controversy, and Chahal strongly denied the allegation, stating, “I do not cheat,” and questioning how a relationship could last several years if cheating had occurred so early.

Contestant Anaya Bangar, transgender athlete and daughter of cricketer Sanjay Bangar, revealed on the show that shortly after publicly coming out, a well-known cricketer added her on social media and sent her a “vulgar,” explicit photo unprovoked. When asked if she knew who sent it, she responded cryptically, “Use sab jaante hain” (Everyone knows him).

In one of the early episodes, a clash escalated between Arbaz Patel and Aarush Bhola when Arbaz insulted Aarush, suggesting that even people in Delhi regretted having him on the show. Aarush fired back, saying, “Tera kya hai?” (What do you have?), and the exchange turned physical, prompting host Ashneer Grover to intervene with a warning of instant eviction. Ashneer publicly slammed Arbaz’s behaviour and placed him on notice that further aggression wouldn’t be tolerated.