Indian Idol 10 winner Salman Ali: More than winning the competition, my goal was to win people’s hearts

On Sunday night, life transformed for 23-year-old Salman Ali from Mewat. The young singer was crowned the winner of the tenth season of the popular reality show Indian Idol, taking home Rs 25 lakh and a brand new car. Speaking to us from Mumbai over the phone, an elated Salman said that the feeling hadn’t sunk in yet. “When I was on the stage waiting for the result, all of us were nervous.Even the judges were nervous toh sochiye hum contestants ki kya haalat hogi,” he says, adding, “Abhi bhi yakeen nahin ho raha hai mujhe toh.” The shy Haryanvi boy says that despite being nervous, he was confident of winning since he knew that he had struck a chord with the audience. “I knew that the audience loved me. I have always said that whatever I am today is because of the love of my fans. I had resolved that even if I didn’t win the competition, my goal was to win people’s hearts,” says Salman.
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The youngster hails from a lower-middle class family from Punhana, a village in Haryana’s Mewat district, and has faced several hardships to sustain his passion for music. He says, “This win means a lot. The prize money will help my family for sure but more than that, over the course of the season, so many composers have given me such love that I’m sure that they will give me work too. I am looking forward to starting that new chapter of my life.” But that would have to wait for a while as Salman will first make a quick trip back home. “Gaon mein sab log wait kar rahe hain mera. So, I will go to Mewat first for a few days and meet everyone. They tell me they have felicitations planned. Uss sab ke baad I will come back to Bombay,” Salman informs us.
Salman says he is still befuddled by all the comments from the celebrity guests that came on the reality show. “There were so many great names who came to the show. People like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Varun Dhawan appreciated me and said such nice things about me. These stars lip-synced to my songs and some even danced. Mujhe toh sab sapne jaise lag raha tha,” he says with a laugh. Throughout the season, Salman has been praised for the earthy, rustic tone of his singing and Salman says it is the Haryanavi touch that he adds to his singing that makes him stand out. “My tone has always been Haryanvi and I will continue that even if I do playback. Now, I want to make Haryana and Mewat proud,” he says.
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Seven years ago, Salman had participated in another reality show – Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs – where he had finished second. Naturally, this win washed away the pain of losing back then. He tells us, “I was young then. Training poori nahin thi. But yes, this win has made up for the defeat there.”