They came, they sang, and they conquered a million hearts on 'Indian Idol 12'. Celebrating music and the talented participants of this season, Indian Idol – Season 12 culminated with a 12-hour musical extravaganza in the form of 'The Greatest Finale Ever'. As the entire country waited with bated breath to know who from amongst the top 6 finalists will be declared as the winner, Pawandeep Rajan from Champawat, Uttarakhand was announced as the season winner and lifted the coveted Indian Idol trophy.
The winner, Pawandeep was awarded a cheque of Rs. 25 lakh from Sony Entertainment Television and a Maruti Suzuki Swift car. From the Top 6 Finalists, Arunita Kanjilal and Sayli Kamble were declared as the first and second runners-up respectively and were awarded a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh respectively.
The versatile and effervescent Pawandeep Rajan who outdid himself each time with every performance constantly strived to learn and grow throughout the show.
According to Pawandeep, an artist needs a platform through which he can showcase his talent to everyone and Indian Idol is one such great platform. With so much love and adulation coming his way, Pawandeep has surpassed everyone's expectations. From performing in front of music industry veterans to celebrities and regaling them with mesmerizing performances, Pawandeep now looks forward to a bright future ahead.
Meanwhile, in an interview with ETimes, Pawandeep said that he did not feel great after being declared the winner of the show because each one was deserving. He said, "I did not think much during the final moments. There was only one thing in my mind that whoever wins the show, the trophy will come to one of the friends. Because we all are one big family. In fact, when I got the trophy I was not feeling very great because all of us were deserving. We all have planned to work together in future and we will be in contact with each other even after the show."
Opening up about his first reaction on winning 'Indian Idol 12', Pawandeep told BollywoodLife.com in Hindi, "Bahut accha lag raha hai. Hum log 6 saath mein the aur hamari family thi puri aur mai chah raha tha ki sabhi ko mile. Sabhi deserving hai aur kisika bhi naam ata mere alawa toh vo deserving hi hai. Lekin ye trophy mujhe mile hai aur meri zimmedari hai aur acchese nibhane ki koshish karunga isko. Sabhi ka sayog mila hai toh acchese karneki koshish karunga. (I was feeling very nice. All 6 of us were there and our families were present. I wanted everyone to win as everyone was deserving. If not me, I feel everyone else was deserving. But now I have the trophy and it is my responsibility now and will do it well. I have got everyone's support and I will handle this responsibility well)."
Besides the top 3, the third and the fourth runners-up, Mohd. Danish and Nihal Tauro were awarded a cheque of Rs. 3 lakh respectively. All the top 6 finalists received a cheque of Rs. 75,000 from Raj Superwhite Soap followed by gift hampers from Colgate and Denver respectively.
Indian Idol as a platform has given India some of its best playback singers and every season it gets bigger and grander. After weeks of gruelling auditions, gala rounds, and entertaining performances, the Greatest Finale Ever set a benchmark in the industry with over 40 acts and over 200 songs for 12 straight hours.
