Music and Youth
Channel [V] selects its ‘Super Singer’
MUMBAI: Channel [V]’s talent hunt Super Singer reached its climax with Ravindra Upadhyay being crowned in Mumbai.
Upadhyay, a lawyer from Jaipur, was one of the five finalists who performed for the final muqabla in front of the jury comprising Adnan Sami, A R Rahman, Himesh Reshammiya and the who’s who from the music industry.
In an effort to showcase the depth of their talent, each of the five finalists performed one cover version and one original track, which had been specially composed for them by leading music directors and lyricists like Sandeep Chowta, Palash Sen, Pritam, Medival Punditz and Abbas Tyrewala, informs an official communiqué.
As the winner of this super quest, Upadhyay will walk with one music album deal with Times music. The first album would comprise four songs by the winner and the remaining by each of the four finalists.
The second album will be exclusively by the Super Singer, a music video, an opportunity to sing playback for Reshammiya in a Bollywood blockbuster and will also get a three-year contract with Channel [V].
Announcing the Super Singer, Sami said, “To find the country’s Super Singer from a pool of thousands of equally talented youngsters was a very difficult task. The talent in this country is inexhaustible! I believe, Ravindra has the inherent talent to create and deliver music that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. His grasp of music is tremendous and he will definitely be a voice to reckon with! I’d like to say a big thank you to all the viewers for having participated. Your inputs have definitely helped me in the final decision making.”
Adjudged as the Super Singer after a nationwide search for the country’s best singing talent, Upadhyay along with the other four finalists underwent rigorous training over the past two months. The media release adds that the finalists were trained for the final muqabla in music, vocals and grooming, by the some best in the industry like Bhavdeep Jaipurwale, Dr. Rama Vaidyanathan, and Pallavi Walia Raj.
Commenting on the exhaustive selection process, Channel [V] head honcho Amar K Deb added, “With Samsung [V] Super Singer we have yet again created a stage for the youth to showcase their talent and had viewers across the country share every emotion that the contestants went through.”
He further adds, “Another unique aspect of this quest is, unlike other hunts where the winner takes it all, in Samsung [v] Super Singer, the remaining four finalists also got a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with leading music directors of the industry and record an original track specially composed for them for the album. Now you see… the winner doesn’t always take it all!”
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
