Kushal Paul, a 17-year-old from Kolkata, sang to victory on music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, the grand finale of which was aired on Sunday night.
Paul, who was touted the ‘rockstar’ of the show this season, beat Sachin Kumar Valmikan from Uttar Pradesh and Jugpreet Bajwa from Vancouver, Canada, to emerge winner.
“Never in my wildest dream had I thought of such a big win,” Paul said in a statement after being announced the winner. He added that singing is his “life and passion” and winning this show “his dream come true.”
He was part of singer-composer Pritam Chakraborty’s team and said that it was “unbelievable” to be holding the trophy. Along with the coveted trophy, Paul drove away in a Elite i20 - Hyundai
The show has given me a chance to meet and perform in front of legendary singers like Asha tai (Asha Bhosle), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Kumar Sanu and I am really thankful to Zee TV for giving me this golden opportunity.
“I am also grateful to the audiences for having voted for me and showering me with so much love. But this journey wouldn’t have been the same without the guidance, support and love of my mentor, Pritam da. I want to dedicate this victory to my mentor and my family,” he added.
“As a playback I would really like to work for Hrithik Roshan. He is my favourite since childhood,” he said in an interview.
Hailing Paul as his protege, Pritam said:
This is a moment of great pride for me as I am a huge fan of his vocal talent and knew that he was winner-worthy right from the auditions phase. Kushal is not just a gifted singer but an exceptional performer with a magnetic stage presence.
The final battle between the five finalists was graced by several maestros from the music industry including Kailash Kher, Sukhwinder Singh, Armaan Malik and Benny Dayal.
Mentors for the contestants – Mika Singh, Sajid-Wajid and Pritam also performed at the grand finale.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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