Indian Idol remains one of the most loved singing reality shows among the Indian audience. Having reached its 12th season, it continues to captivate its viewers by tugging on their heartstrings and showcasing the stories of talented people!
Remember sitting with your parents and seeing the journey of different contestants from auditions to the main show? The sheer joy and excitement that surrounded the program kept us all coming for more! We rooted for the wins of our favourite contestants and cried for their losses.
Have you, however, wondered what the winners of India Idol are up to these days? Where are they now? We are here to help you find this out!
- Abhijeet Sawant – Winner, Season 1
The winner of the first edition of the reality show, Abhijeet was famous for his sonorous voice which garnered him a huge fanbase. Post the show, Abhijeet continued to be closely associated with music. His studio albums, Aapka Abhijeet and Junoon have been great hits among the masses. Abhijeet has also dabbled into Bollywood music, singing tracks for many movies. He participated in the earliest season of the show ‘Asian Idol’ as the Indian representative. He also tried his luck in the acting spectrum, unfortunately to no avail. Sources suggest that Abhijeet is currently actively planning to launch his own reality show.
- Sandeep Acharya- Winner, Season 2
Hailing from Bikaner, Sandeep gained immense popularity in the second season of the show, owing to his Rajasthani flair and ability to sing a multitude of genres. He signed a contract of 10 million with Sony BIG and went on to sing a number of Rajasthani and Bollywood tracks. However, Sandeep’s journey to success was short-lived as he lost his battle with jaundice in December 2013. In the course of his life, Sandeep truly lived and breathed music. He continues to be remembered as one of the most talented and successful singers Indian Idol blessed us with.
- Prashant Tamang – Winner, Season 3
Prashant’s journey in Indian Idol was nothing short of a success story. He was a police constable in Kolkata, but went on to win the third season of the music reality show. He wowed the audiences with his soulful and emotional singing. Since then, there has been no turning back for him. Prashant went on to pursue his music career, and has lent his voice to both Hindi and Nepalese songs. He has even launched his own albums which garnered him a lot of success. He has also participated in regional movies like Grokha, Paltan and Kina Maya Ma. Currently, he produces songs for the North-Eastern music industry.
- Sourabhee Debbarma – Winner, Season 4
Sourabhee won the hearts of the audience in the fourth season, ultimately becoming the first female winner of the show. She hailed from Tripura and continued to carry her passion for music. Post the show, Sourbhee started touring in cities such as Hong Kong, Nigeria, Durban, Kuwait, Bangladesh and London. She also holds concerts all over the world. She launched her own album, Meherbaan which became an instant hit. Sourbhee is also registered in the Guinness Book World Records for singing upside down for 4.30 minutes straight!
- Sreerama Chandra Mynampati – Winner, Season 5
Sreerama is another success story that came out of Indian Idol. The winner of the fifth edition of the show, his melodious vocals enthralled the audience. Sreerama went on to become an extremely prominent singer in the South, while also dabbling in Bollywood music. He is the voice behind super hit numbers like Subanallah. He is also the first Indian Idol winner who became part of the original soundtrack team of a Hollywood Movie – The Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He has also acted in the Telugu movie, Prema Geema Jantha Nai. Currently, he is in the process of singing for a couple of South Indian movies.
- Vipul Mehta – Winner, Season 6
Vipul Mehta became a fan-favourite in the sixth edition of the music reality show and ended up winning that season. Post the show, he lent his voice for Pujabi songs, with his debut song being Rowaam Mein. He also went on to launch his music album titled, Hello Namaste Sat Sri Akal. The album did not fare well, however Vipul was never one to back down. He found alternative means of being associated with his passion. He even participated in a movie called Khandaani Shafakhana. Currently, he performs at live music shows and concerts.
- LV Revanth – Winner, Season 7
Revanth was already a seasoned singer before his stint in the seventh edition of Indian Idol. His victory proved that language holds no barriers when it comes to recognizing talent. During his Indian Idol innings, he became popular for his powerful singing and good-looks. Revanth has over 200 songs to his name, across the North Indian and South Indian music industry. He is also a regular participant in reality shows, sweeping the majority of them with sheer talent and hardwork. LV Revanth sang the song Manohari for the blockbuster film, Baahubali :The Beginning which even earned him several award nominations as well. Currently, Revanth is part of several Telugu and Kannada films.
- Salman Ali – Winner, Season 10
Salman Ali enthralled the judges and audiences alike in the tenth season of Indian Idol with his unique and raw voice, ultimately going on to win the show. Prior to Indian Idol, Alaman was also the second runner up in the show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs. The 21-year-old has carved a niche for himself in the music industry already, having lent his voice to many TV shows and Bollywood movies. He also became a mentor of the show Singing Superstar. His singing styles range from sufi to even rock and pop. Some of the most famous hits by Salman include Sab Badhiya Hai from Sui Dhaga, Awara from Dabangg 3 and Teri Meri Kahani from Happy Hardy and Heer.
- Sunny Hindustani- Winner, Season 11
Hailing from Bhatinda, Sunny went on to win the eleventh season of Indian Idol. He captivated the audiences with his emotional and moving vocals. Post his win in the show, Sunny went on to start his own channel as a means of engaging with his fans musically in a virtual mode. He regularly keeps updating videos on the same. He made his debut as playback singer in the song Rom Rom for the movie The Body. A number of other producers have also signed up with him given his potential. In whatever form, Sunny continues to pursue and practice his passion for the craft of music.
All these immensely talented singers who left through the doors of Indian Idol as crowned champions went on to pursue music in their own capacities. They all went on to become producers, soloists or playback singers, carving a niche for themselves in the tricky and unpredictable industry that is music. They followed their passion and continue to move people with their music, in whatever little ways possible. As the 12th season of Indian Idol is coming to a close, we wonder which prolific singer is going to join the ranks of these vocal maestros!
