Vaibhav Gupta Wins ‘Indian Idol 14’

MUMBAI, (IANS) – ‘Kanpur ka Tarana’ Vaibhav Gupta has lifted the coveted trophy of the singing reality show ‘Indian Idol 14’. The trophy came with a cheque for Rs 25 lakh and a ‘Hot and Techy’ Brezza car.

Vaibhav was one of the six finalists, who included Shubhadeep Das Chowdhury, Ananya Pal, Adya Mishra, Piyush Panwar and Anjana Padmanabhan.

Shubhadeep and Piyush were declared the first and second runners-up, and they went back home with a trophy and a cheque of Rs 5 lakh each. Ananya was the third runner-up, which entitled her to Rs 3 lakh, besides a trophy.

Sonu Nigam, who judged the first two and ninth editions of the show, was the special judge for the grand finale. Neha Kakkar, who will be seen as the ‘super judge’ in the upcoming season of the reality show, ‘Superstar Singer’, also joined the finale episode.

For the ‘Pyarelal Symphony’ challenge, Vaibhav sang ‘Jumma Chumma’, from the 1991 action crime drama ‘Hum’, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Govinda, Kimi Katkar and Anupam Kher.

Vaibhav’s last song for the finale was a duet with Sonu Nigam.

They belted out ‘Joru Ka Ghulam’, the titular song of the Year 2000 comedy featuring Govinda, Twinkle Khanna, Kader Khan, and Johnny Lever.

Stating how surreal it felt to lift the coveted ‘Indian Idol 14’ trophy, which first went to Abhijeet Sawant, Vaibhav said: “Taking forward the legacy of this beloved and prestigious show is a tremendous honor. This journey has been an exhilarating rollercoaster filled with multiple emotions, challenges and unforgettable moments.”

The acclaimed playback singer Kumar Sanu, one of the show’s three judges, said: ” From the moment I first saw his performance, I recognized his immense potential.”

Fellow judge Shreya Ghoshal amplified Sanu’s sentiments: “Right from the audition, Vaibhav has shown versatility and throughout the competition, he has kept surprising us with his performances.”

Vishal Dadlani, the third judge, concluded by noting that Vaibhav showed “versatility in his vocals”, and that it has been “incredible to see him perform live”.

He added: “Personally, I can’t wait to see the success that comes his way.”