A multitalented musician from the North Indian state of Uttarakhand has won the 12th season of reality TV show Indian Idol, walking home with a 2.5 million rupee ($33,716) haul, as well as a new car.
Pawandeep Rajan, 25, beat five other finalists to be crowned winner of the fan-voted show on Sunday, which was also India's Independence Day. The aspiring musician and composer from the picturesque Champawat district, which lies on India's border with Nepal, called his win "unbelievable".
"I still feel like I’m dreaming and cannot come to terms with reality. It’s still sinking in," he said after the show. "This is such a big honour for me. I’d like to thank all my fans and the viewers who have voted for me and made me win this honourable title. This feeling is the best."
The star-studded show was pegged as the "greatest grand finale" featuring 12 hours of performances from finalists, as well as some of India's top artists. Bollywood stars Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, who are promoting their film Shershaah, were also in attendance.
Who is Pawandeep Rajan?
With his father, Suresh Rajan, being a folk singer, Rajan's introduction to music started at an early age. According to India Today, he even won a "youngest tabla player" award at the age of 2. Besides the tabla, he can also play the guitar, the piano and the dholak, the two-headed hand drum.
Sunday's historic win was also not Rajan's reality TV show first. In 2015, he won the Indian version of the globally known singing competition The Voice. He is also the lead vocalist of a band, Rait, and released his first single, Yakeen, in 2015, according to India Today.
"The reason I got back in the arena was not my will to win but my quest to learn. And I am thankful that after spending so many months on this show, we are now ready to playback,” he said on Sunday, hinting at a career in composing and performing for Bollywood films.
When asked which Bollywood star he would like to sing for, he said he was a big fan of actor Salman Khan. “I would love to sing for any actor [but] I would really like to sing for him someday."
Rajan also said he would use his prize money to start a school in his home town and help others fulfil their musical aspirations.
"There are not many facilities in Champawat. After seeing my journey, a lot of people are already keen to learn. This is the reason I also built a studio and now I want to go big so that everyone gets a good opportunity to make their dreams come true," he told the Indian Express.
The 12th season of Indian Idol began broadcasting in November last year, with 15 contestants taking part. Sunday's show had the final six – the others being Arunita Kanjilal, Mohamed Danish, Sayli Kamble, Nihal Tauro and Shanmukha Priya – showcase various performances.
Indian Idol, first broadcast in 2004, is one of the longest-running reality TV shows in the country.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
