Ishita Vishwakarma is the winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2018.
Ishita Vishwakarma on Sunday emerged as the winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Apart from the winner’s trophy, Ishita took home the prize money of Rs 5 lakh and a brand new car. The other finalists included Sahil Solanki, Tanmay Chaturvedi, Aishwarya Pandit, Sonu Gill and Aslam Abdul Majeed.
Post her big win, Ishita spoke exclusively to indianexpress.com about her stint on the reality show. Sharing that she hadn’t expected to win the show, the 16-year-old said, “I was the youngest in the competition. I never expected that I would win it. Honestly, it’s a big achievement for me. Everyone on the show was so talented. While I was said to be consistent throughout, I came to the show only with my raw music. My talent has been shaped and polished on the show. I have learned so much, and the growth was visible in my journey. I guess that’s what made me the winner.”
Interestingly, Ishita Vishwakarma had earlier participated in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs. When asked if there were any difference between the two shows, she said, “Yes, I was on the kid’s show, but I couldn’t do well then. I got eliminated in the top 12 round. I had cried so much while going back. That’s when I resolved that I will come back to the platform. I had even promised myself that I would do better and show the world my talent.”
Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Ishita comes from a family of singers. Talking about their support, she said, “I am blessed to have such talented parents. Thanks to them, I have music in my genes. Also, I have been so lucky that my mother was along with me during the audition. That’s the first time you are performing, and it’s important you do well. And when I had a competition like her, I pulled up my socks and gave my best. While my mom could only reach till the top 30, this trophy is for her. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been here. My mother gave me wings and I learned to fly on the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa platform.”
While Shah Rukh Khan complimented her in his own style, Sara Ali Khan got her mother Amrita Singh to listen to her performance over the phone. But for Ishita, it was Shah Rukh’s gesture that was the most memorable. She said, “It was such a special moment for me. I was singing his song and luckily it came out beautifully. But imagine ‘The SRK’ complimenting you. I was over the moon. It was such a special moment for me. He also told me I have a bright future in the music industry. Coming from him, that was an achievement.”
Ishita Vishwakarma further shared that she plans to take up playback singing next. She said, “I have worshipped Shreya Ghosal all my life. From childhood, I have dreamt of being a playback singer. Fortunately for me, I have already been given opportunities by the greatest name in the industry because of this show. I hope I manage to make my debut soon.”
Apart from her musical career, the young girl is keen to study further. “I am in my 11th standard now pursuing commerce. Post my schooling, I plan to take up music. While my mother always wanted me to pursue music, my father wanted his child to become a doctor. Though I love music, I want to fulfil my father’s dreams also. I will do a PhD in music so that he gets to see the ‘Doctor’ title added to my name,” concluded Ishita.
The grand finale of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa also saw performances by Sunidhi Chauhan and Ankita Lokhande. Hosted by Aditya Narayan, the season was judged by Shekhar Ravjiani, Wajid Khan and Richa Sharma.
Sana Farzeen is an assistant editor at Indian Express Online and covers Entertainment across platforms. Apart from writing articles, features and opinions, she enjoys interviewing celebrities on video. An alumna of Calcutta University, Sana has previously worked with the Times Group and Tellychakkar. You can contact her at sana.farzeen@indianexpress.com. ... Read More
Ishita Vishwakarma is the winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2018.