Jun 04, 2025 11:25 AM IST
According to Abhijeet Sawant, being noticeable and building an identity matters more than the trophy of a reality show
Singer Abhijeet Sawant, the winner of Indian Idol Season 1, believes that staying relevant is more crucial than just winning reality shows. He points out that Arijit Singh and Neha Kakkar, who didn’t win a reality show, are more successful than the winners today. Also read: Abhijeet Sawant reveals being on Tinder even after marriage, speaking ‘a lot’ with 2-3 women; ‘bichari’ wife didn’t know
Abhijeet on reality shows
During an interview with Galatta India, Abhijeet was asked what’s more important for him — winning a reality TV show or staying relevant after the victory.
To which, Abhijeet said, “I believe reaching somewhere is the real challenge. Winning the trophy isn’t the ultimate goal. It’s great if you win, but the real achievement is when people start recognising you, when you rise above your background and build a career from there”.
As per him, victory is not the key but the visibility that a reality show gets. Talking about fan following playing a bigger role, Abhijeet shared, “Many times, we’ve seen winners chosen based on popularity, not necessarily skill, and sometimes, talented artists lose simply because they lack a fan base… Take Arijit Singh or Neha Kakkar, they didn’t win, but they reached a far higher position than many winners. I say this very honestly and modestly: being noticeable and building an identity matters more than a trophy.”
Neha Kakkar was a contestant on Indian Idol 2 where she was eliminated early, while Arijit Singh finished 6th in Fame Gurukul.
More about Abhijeet Sawant
Abhijeet Sawant became the first winner of Indian Idol in 2005. The singer’s first solo album, Aap Kaa Abhijeet Sawant, was released in 2005, followed by other albums Junoon in 2007, Farida in 2013 and Fakira in 2018. He also did playback singing for films such as Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005), Chittagong (2012) and Dishoom (2016). Abhijeet was caught in a controversy earlier this year when he called out Indian Idol for favouring sob stories over actual singing talent.
