From Arijit Singh to Neha Kakkar: Rejected singing reality show contestants who became more popular than the winners

Reality shows in India are a ticket to instant fame and overnight recognition. From singing to dancing, these reality shows have given the showbiz industry some popular names. There have been many contestants who got rejected even before reaching the finale but went on to make a bigger name for themselves than the winners. Let's take a look. (Photo: Instagram)

The singing sensation, who announced his retirement today (January 27), leaving fans emotional, first participated in Fame Gurukul. It was his first singing based reality show in 2005. Arijit was merely 18 years-old, and he participated in the show with huge aspirations. However, not many are aware that the singer was eliminated at the 6th position. Arijit, who went on to become one of the biggest names in the Indian film industry was eliminated before the finale. Later, he gave chartbuster songs for Bollywood biggies like Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan and others. (Photo: Instagram)

The talented and bubbly judge, who was last seen judging Indian Idol on the small screen, also started her journey in showbiz from a reality show. She was a participant on Indian Idol season 2 in the year 2006. Neha was just 18 then and got eliminated quite early on. Her unique voice is loved by millions of fans across the globe. For the uninitiated, Neha, who was a judge on Indian Idol, a platform where she was once rejected. (Photo: Instagram)

The singer, who is known for her soulful voice, emerged on the ninth position in Indian Idol. She captivated audiences hearts with her popular songs like Sawaar Loon from the movie Lootera and Moh Moh Ke Dhage from Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She has won several awards for her songs, including National Award for her song 'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage' in 2015. She was last seen as a judge on Rising Star. (Photo: Instagram)

Rahul Vaidya also rose to fame with the first season of Indian Idol and he was the second runner-up. While his boy next door image helped him earn a major fan following, he lost the competition to Abhijit Sawant. Rahul sang the unplugged version of Be Intehaan for the movie Race 2 in 2013. Today, he is one of the most popular stars of television industry and not just singing, he has earned fans through other reality shows like Bigg Boss and Laughter Chefs. (Photo: Instagram)

He was the second contestant to be eliminated from Indian Idol 1, but he went on to become one of the most successful names from the show in the television industry. After Indian Idol, he appeared in Kaisa Yeh Pyar Hai in 2005, where he played the character of Prithvi Bose for a year. Since then, his career has continued to grow, with popular shows like Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki and Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi adding to his success. (Photo: Instagram)

Jubin Nautiyal started his career from reality show X Factor in 2011. During the show, he failed to impress Sonu Nigam and couldn't make it to the Top 25 contestants of the show. The show had Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam and Sanjay Leela Bhansali as judges. Today, the popular singer has various hit songs to his credit. Not many know that Jubin has sung for many TV serial tracks as well. The singer has some blockbuster songs like Zindagi Kuch Toh Bata (Bajrangi Bhaijaan), Kaabil and others to his credit. (Photo: Instagram)

Vishal's journey from a rejected reality show contestant to a popular name in the industry, is truly inspiring. Not many know that Vishal auditioned for many singing reality shows like Indian Idol, but he faced rejections. His breakthrough came after his song Kaise Hua from Kabir Singh became an anthem of love. (Photo: Instagram)

Meiyang Chang participated in the third season of Indian Idol and finished in fifth place. Although he did not win the show, he went on to build a successful career as a television host and actor. He hosted several TV shows, including Indian Idol 4, and also worked in a few films and web series. (Photo: Instagram)