Indian Idol 15 winner: Manasi Ghosh, a 24-year-old from Kolkata, was crowned the winner of Indian Idol 15 on Sunday. The young girl took home the Indian Idol Season 15 trophy, Rs 25 lakhs cash prize, and a car. Shortly after her victory, Manasi spoke to SCREEN about her journey and future plans. She also revealed that she has recorded her first Bollywood song.
Talking about winning Indian Idol 15, Manasi, who credited her mother for encouraging her to pursue music, shared, “My family was here for the finale. They were crying and cheering. I was blank, not knowing initially how to react. But all of us are really happy. Life has changed in a good way. It’s a national platform, so I got a lot of love and blessings from all over.”
Manasi further revealed how she plans to use the prize money. She said, “I want to use some amount from the prize money on my independent music and the car I will use.”
Indian Idol 15 winner Manasi Ghosh with Aditya Narayan, Badshah, Shreya Ghoshal, and Vishal Dadlani. (Photos: Sony TV Team)
Indian Idol 15 was judged by Shreya Ghoshal, Vishal Dadlani, and Badshah. When asked which judge’s feedback mattered to her the most, Manasi Ghosh said, “I always looked up to Badshah Sir and Vishal Sir. Shreya Mam was also very sweet and elaborate on her comments which I loved, but Vishal sir was straight-forward and on the face. Whenever he was impressed, he would be the first one to give me a standing ovation.”
She added, “This show has taught me to both learn and unlearn. Even if you get bad comments, you cannot carry that to your next performance. You have to forget everything that happens and focus on the work.”
Manasi Ghosh also shared her take on Indian music and what she felt about the influence of the West on it. “I won’t say the Western influence on music is bad. We still listen to Lata Mangeshkar, Bhimchand Joshi, Zakir Hussain sir, and everyone. We used to listen to Michael Jackson, now we listen to Doja Cat. It’s good. Even Western people are aware of Indian classical music and they listen to it. Indian rap artists are gaining prominence all over the globe, so Indian music is reaching the West too.”
Lastly, Manasi, who was in the 8th grade when she decided to become a professional singer, shared a message for aspiring singers. “There are so many musicians today, but going to a guru and learning will help you immensely. You should not just sit waiting for playback opportunities. Rather, work on something of your own. Support yourself first. I also wish to do Bollywood playback singing, but I also have plans for my independent music. My Bollywood debut is a duet song with Lalit Pandit and Shaan sir. It’s already recorded. It’s for an upcoming film. Badshah sir and I will be doing something next,” she said before signing off.
