Indian Idol winner Rishi Singh shares reaction to adoption news on show: ‘I accepted the truth’

On Sunday, Rishi Singh was crowned as the winner of the 13th edition of the reality show Indian Idol. The young singer hails from Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Rishi, who is not formally trained, did not expect that he would go on to win the competition.

Besides being named winner, the singer also learnt some life-changing news during the course of the show, when he found out that he was adopted. He spoke about accepting his truth and learning to live with it.

There were a few people who wondered about the news being shared on air with Rishi, and questioned if it was a ploy to gain votes in the competition. The singer revealed that he tried to shut out any kind of negativity and just focuses on what he had to sing each week. He also added that if he and his family, especially his parents, were aware of the truth, that’s what was really important to him.

Rishi told the Indian Express, “Of course, it was big news for me and I was taken aback. I think what was most important was that I accepted the truth. That was the only way I could lead a harmonious life with my parents. Also, I think everyone has seen the bond that we share. They related to me and our story. And I think so many other families like us will get the courage to accept their truth through us.”

Kolkata’s Debosmita Roy became the first runner-up, while Jammu and Kashmir’s Chirag Kotwal was named the second runner-up. Besides the trophy, Rishi also received a brand new car and prize money worth ₹25 lakh. The other finalists on the show were Bidipta Chakraborty, Shivam Singh and Sonakshi Kar.

The musical reality show is hosted by Aditya Narayan, who is the son of singer Udit Narayan. Singer Neha Kakkar and singer-composers Vishal Dadlani and Himesh Reshammiya were the judges for this season, but Neha had to take a break because of health issues for much of the show. She returned for the finals as a judge.