MUMBAI: After hosting some of the biggest music festivals of the city, Sunburn and Supersonic, the sand dunes of Goa hosted the Grand Finale of Zee TV’s ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2016’. Yes, this month’s long battle finally came to a glittery end with 20-year-old Kushal Paul winning the trophy.

Kushal who was a part of Pritam’s team had been the judges favourite from the very beginning. But, that is not it, this boy from Kolkata he had also proved his mettle on the ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2016’ stage with some spectacular performances. Sachin Kumar Valmikan from Lakhimpur Kheri and Jugpreet Bajwa from Vancouver, Canada were the first and the second runners up respectively.

Beaming with joy, Pritam Chakraborty said, “This is a moment of great pride for me as I am a huge fan of his vocal talent and knew that he was winner worthy right from the auditions phase. He is not just a gifted singer but an exceptional performer with a magnetic stage presence. It’s not easy to take your eyes off Kushal when he sings effortlessly and performs like a rockstar. The best thing about Kushal is that he’s like a sponge – constantly absorbing and imbibing new things, adding to his versatility. He has a long way to go and a great career ahead of him in singing. Here’s wishing him and all our other contestants the best in their future endeavours!”

Commenting on his win, an ecstatic Kushal said, “I still can’t believe I am holding the trophy in my hand – that was the goal each one of us have worked day and night for. Never in my wildest dream I thought of such big win. This, truly, is the best moment of my life. Singing is my life and passion and winning the show is a dream come true. The knowledge and exposure I’ve gained with my stint in the show is priceless. Being in ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ was the best gift of my life and through this stage, I fulfilled my dream of becoming a singer. The show has given me a chance to meet and perform in front of legendary singers like Asha Tai, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Kumar Sanu and I am really thankful to Zee TV for giving me this golden opportunity. I am also grateful to the audiences for having voted for me and showering me with so much love. But this journey wouldn’t have been the same without the guidance, support and love of my mentor– Pritam Da. I want to dedicate this victory to my mentor and my family.”

The other top contestants who made it to the grand finale were Rupali Jagga and Jyotica Tangri.

The grand finale was graced by the lead pair of Marathi movie ‘Sairaat’ –Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru, Kailash Kher, Sukhvinder Singh, Ayaan, Armaan Malik and Benny Dayal as star attractions.

Furthermore, the celebrities present at the do did not just motivate the contestants, but they also set the stage on fire with their performances. This included a mesmerizing performance by the ‘Sairaat’ actors and a solo performance by Mika Singh. The singer entertained the audience with some of his popular numbers like ‘Dard E Dil Dard E Jigar’, ‘Mein Dardi Rab Kardi’ and ‘Baar Baar Dekho’. Performances by mentors Sajid- Wajid, Pritam Da and the marvellous jury members was indeed a treat for the spectators. The top five contestants also performed with biggies of the music industry like Kailash Kher, Arman Malik, Sukhwinder Singh and Benny Dayal.

The top five contestants got a medal, and the winner of the season walked away with the coveted trophy and was presented a brand new Elite i20 – Hyundai.