Kushal Paul was crowned the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2016 winner at the end of a five-pronged competition in Goa. The 20-year-old ponytailed Sonarpur boy returned to a hero’s welcome on Thursday, entering his para on the bonnet of his car while his friends danced on the street in front.

It’s been a week since you were crowned. Has the victory sunk in?

All the euphoria, the media spotlight — yeah, I am getting used to it (grins).

During a pit-stop visit to the city three weeks before the finals, you had said you were not bothered about winning the contest as you would have shifted to Mumbai for work anyway. So is this victory a bonus?

This is exactly what I was thinking when my name was announced. I went for the experience, I ended up with a trophy! I am a happy-go-lucky guy who does not expect much, so I keep getting pleasant surprises. All I remember of the moment is my family members rushing up the stairs to the stage! 

You performed with Benny Dayal in the final...

He was very supportive. Such a confident performer! We had to use a lot of props. The singing was live except for some pre-recorded segments like the harmony and the entry for which we had to dance in a moving van.

How was the post-event party in Goa?

A party with my friends was pending for long. That they could be present at the finale made the night very special. 

How has the reception been back home?

I am back after five months! My friends and neighbours formed a big reception team at the airport along with my family. They were carrying placards with all the names they used to address me by on the show — Rockstar, Tantric.... They also made a collage of my pictures. My father came driving the Alto K10 I had got after winning the Zee Bangla edition of the show. Once our cavalcade reached Mission Pally more, they made me sit on the bonnet of the car and danced in front all the way to our house! Even now, they are hanging around in the house all day. Our neighbours and relatives are dropping by with sweets and flowers. It seems a Durga Puja party is on!  

Perhaps consuming all those sweets will make you shed the tag of “Size-zero Rock star” that show host Aditya Narayan gave you!

Ha ha! I knew once I would get back home I would gain back all the weight I had lost in these five months in Mumbai. 

How much did you lose?

I didn’t measure but at least 10kg! After a long day of recording or rehearsals, I felt too tired and lazy to even go have dinner. That caused the problem.

How was the first morning after coming back home as champion?

There was no sleep for the last seven-eight days before the final. I slept till noon the day after I got back. Even my three-year-old Dalmatian Susie could not lick me out of my slumber! She sleeps at my feet and is usually my alarm clock. In fact, I had got her because of music. She is a gift from an organiser in whose house I was put up before a show, and who owns Susie’s mother. 

Your mother had confided to t2 that she had a serious heart ailment while you were away on the show but she never let you know even when she was in hospital.... 

Yes, I came to know much later. My friends were there to take care of her. They are so sincere that I know even I could not have done more had I been there. The fact that she could watch me win the national title is my biggest reward. She provided the motivation for me to take part in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. She used to dream of this for me.

What next for Kushal?

I will be shifting to Mumbai. I have been working really hard on compositions for a while. In today’s scenario, bringing out a full album along with a music video is tough. I want to release a set of singles, may be on YouTube, to start with. 

Don’t you want your sister Isis to sing for you some day?

Absolutely. She has a unique voice, very deep and powerful,  high on bass and sounds wonderful on lower octave. As a composer, I would say she has great potential. 

What kind of songs would composer Kushal be using singer Kushal for?

My training is in classical music. But since I have been singing in reality shows from a young age, I am versatile. So it is difficult to pinpoint one genre. I listen to all kinds of songs and take out something from everything. I compose very easy songs with straight notes. I love reggae and folk.