Rejected Indian Idol contestants who are more popular than the winners

There are some reality shows where the contestants who get rejected before reaching the finale make a bigger name for themselves in life than the winners. One such show is Indian Idol. Some of its participants who didn't lift the trophy are now successful names in the music industry. Take a look. (Photo: Instagram)

Sireesha Bhagavatula was a part of Indian Idol 10. The 26-year-old singer is from Machilipatnam and is in news now for her superhit song 'Ghode Pe Kyun Sawar Hai' from Qala. The season was won by Pawandeep but Sireesha impressed many and after singing in Telugu reality TV shows, she impressed judges in Indian Idol 12 as well. She has sung a few songs in Mani Ratnam's hit movie PS:1 which had music by none other than AR Rahman. Right now her song from Qala is a rage among actors and many reels are being made on it. (Photo: Instagram)

Rahul Vaidya participated in the first season of Indian Idol where he became the first runner-up. The show was won by Abhijeet Sawant. Cut to today, it is Rahul who enjoys much more fame, thanks to his participation in Bigg Boss. He also dishes out his own music videos and performs at events and concerts. (Photo: Instagram)

Neha Kakkar, who has several popular Bollywood numbers and hit remixes under her belt, had participated in the second season of Indian Idol. She was just 18 then and got eliminated quite early on. Her success, however, speaks another story. Today, she enjoys huge popularity on social media and her songs are loved by her loyal fans. Not just this, she is also seen as a judge on Indian Idol, a platform where she was once rejected. (Photo: Instagram)

Another gem in the second season of Indian Idol was Monali Thakur. She did not win the show and got eliminated after reaching the 9th spot. The singer, who has several popular songs to her credit now, won a National Award for her song 'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage' in 2015. Not just this, she is seen as a judge on several reality shows including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Super Singer among others. (Photo: Instagram)

Antara Mitra participated in Indian Idol and got to as far as the top 5 but she got eliminated thereafter. Years later, Antara has earned a place in the music industry. She has sung in multiple languages. She has popular Bollywood songs like Bheegi Si Bhaagi Si, Gerua and Janam Janam songs to her credit among others. (Photo: Instagram)

Meiyang Chang was seen in the third season of Indian Idol and reached the 5th spot. He did not bag the winner's trophy but managed to make a name for himself by hosting several television shows including Indian Idol 4. He has done a few movies and web series as well. (Photo: Instagram)

Bhoomi Trivedi auditioned for Indian Idol 3 and got selected but due to jaundice, she was forced to leave the show. Something similar happened the next season as well but this time it was her aunt's death that led her to quit the show. She then participated in Indian Idol 5 and became a runner-up. She has popular Bollywood songs to her credit including Ram Chahe Leela, Dance Ke Legend and Udi Udi Jaye among several others. (Photo: Instagram)

Rohit made a name for himself by participating in Indian Idol 11. He was a runner-up in the show and lost the trophy to Sunny Hindustani. His debut song was Yaara Yaara in Duniyadari. He has sung for several Marathi films and turned into a music director in 2019. He has also done title tracks and songs of popular TV shows. (Photo: Instagram)