TLI Staff
New Delhi: Indian Idol 11, one of the most popular and longest running reality shows in India, on Sunday aired its grand finale episode. Sunny Hindustani, 21, the talented singer from Bhatinda blessed with a soul-stirring voice won the singing reality show, and took home the coveted trophy and the prize money of Rs 25 lakh.
The four other finalists who had been winning the hearts of the audiences from the last four months (the show premiered on October 12, 2019) were Rohit Raut, Ankona Mukherjee, Adriz Ghosh and Ridham Kalyan. While Rohit became the first runner-up, Ankona was the second runner-up.
“The winner’s trophy is in my hand and my happiness knows no bounds. I had come to Indian Idol with dreams in my eyes, and today all those dreams have come true. I have no words to express my happiness after seeing a wide smile on my mother’s face. Thank you so much, maa. Thank you, Indian Idol, you changed my life forever,” said the emotional Sunny Hindustani holding his trophy after winning Indian Idol 11.
The #IndianIdol11 title goes to #SunnyHindustani.
Congratulations @sunny_singer11#IndianIdolGrandFinale pic.twitter.com/ESzXxKznae— Sony TV (@SonyTV) February 23, 2020
Apart from the trophy and the cash prize, Sunny Hindustani also won a car and a contract to sing for T-series.
Sunny who has been wowing audiences ever since his audition where he sung Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Afreen Afreen came from a humble background and did his schooling from a government school in Bhatinda.
His father Manak Ram was a shoeshiner and a singer while mother a balloon seller. Sunny dropped out of school after sixth standard and started performing at functions nearby his town and surrounding villages.
Sunny’s father was quite supportive of his dreams and even gifted him a harmonium and a tabla so that he could pursue his passion with more vigour. However, sadly for Sunny, his father passed away in 2014 that he had to take up the job of shoeshiner to support his family including his three sisters.
However, soon Sunny got the opportunity to kickstart his singing career with the song Ankhiyan De Buhe which was released in TMC Punjabi. He also got an opportunity to showcase his talent on national television on the show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega on Sony TV.
Here’s hoping Sunny Hindustani touches heights of success after this big win.