If you have scrolled reels on Instagram in the past week, you would have come across the name Deepali Sahay. Her song Tere Paas Main from Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga has become very popular online. From losing out on the Indian Idol 3 trophy 19 years ago to lending her voice to a song composed by A. R. Rahman, Sahay's story is a reminder that reality show results do not always determine an artist's future.
Over the years, Indian music reality shows have introduced audiences to several talented singers who did not win their respective competitions but went on to enjoy remarkable success. Here is a look:
Arijit Singh
Today, Arijit Singh is among the biggest voices in Indian music, but his journey began on the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005. He was eliminated before reaching the finals and did not emerge as a winner. Instead of giving up, Singh focused on learning music production and refining his craft. His breakthrough came with the chartbuster Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2, a song that transformed him into a household name. He is now one of India’s most streamed artists globally.
Neha Kakkar
Neha Kakkar faced rejection early in her reality-show journey. After failing to make an impact in the first season of Indian Idol, she returned for Season 2 and finished in 10th place. The exposure, however, helped her build a strong foundation. Over the years, Kakkar delivered several hit songs, including Kar Gayi Chull and Dilbar, and even went on to judge several seasons of Indian Idol.
Monali Thakur
Winning was not part of Monali Thakur's Indian Idol Season 2 story. Nevertheless, she went on to establish herself as one of the industry's most versatile singers. She won the National Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song Moh Moh Ke Dhaage from the film Dum Laga Ke Haisa. She also judged Zee TV's singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs in 2014 and was an ‘expert’ on Colors TV's Rising Star for two consecutive seasons.
Rahul Vaidya
Rahul Vaidya emerged as the second runner-up in the first season of Indian Idol, losing out to winner Abhijeet Sawant and runner-up Amit Sana. His boy-next-door appeal and singing talent helped him cultivate a loyal fan base. Apart from releasing music and singing the unplugged version of Be Intehaan for Race 2, Vaidya has become a familiar face on television through shows such as Bigg Boss and Laughter Chefs.
Jubin Nautiyal
Before becoming one of Bollywood's most popular contemporary singers, Jubin Nautiyal auditioned for X Factor India in 2011. He failed to make it to the Top 25 contestants. The setback did little to slow him down. Today, Nautiyal has numerous hit songs to his credit and remains a prominent playback voice.
Darshan Raval
Darshan Raval finished as the first runner-up on India’s Raw Star in 2014. Although he missed out on the title, the show gave him national visibility. Songs such as Pehli Mohabbat helped him establish a dedicated fan following. He has delivered several hit songs like Chogada, Soni Soni, Hawa Banke, Tera Zikr.
Armaan Malik
Singer-songwriter Armaan Malik first caught public attention as a contestant on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs in 2006. Though he did not win the competition, Malik went on to become one of the most recognised young voices in Indian music. His success eventually came full circle when he joined the reality-show The Voice India as a judge.
Antara Mitra
Antara Mitra was a contestant on Indian Idol 2 in 2006. While she did not win the season, she later built a successful playback career with songs such as Gerua and Janam Janam. Mitra is one of the mentors on Zee Bangla Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2025 and is a popular playback singer in Bengali cinema.