Sourabhee becomes first female 'Indian Idol'

After four years of its running, popular music reality show 'Indian Idol' finally got its first female winner in the form of Sourabhee Debbarma, who won the grand finale of the fourth season of the TV programme.

Sourabhee, who hails from the India's north east, belted out popular numbers confidently and piped other finalists - Bengali girl Torsha Sarkar and army man Kapil Thapa. She walked away with a Rs.10 million contract with Sony TV and a car.

The result was based on public voting.

The special attractions of the event were Bollywood stars John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh, who had come to promote their forthcoming film 'New York'.

Others from the Indian film and music industry, including judges Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik, Kailash Kher and Sonali Bendre, too were present to cheer the finalists.

The 22-year-old winner is petite, charismatic and adds glamour to her stage performances with her perfect moves - a plus point she has had since the beginning of the show. However, the girl has had no professional training in music.

She recently met veteran Assamese composer Bhupen Hazarika who told her "my blessings are with you".

Only on MSN India: Exclusive videos of 'India Idol 4'

Tripura toasts its 'Indian Idol' all night long

Most of Tripura was in party mode the whole night until Monday morning, bursting crackers and dancing on the streets to celebrate Sourabhee Debbarma being crowned "Indian Idol" in Mumbai. The young singer from Tripura became the first woman "Indian Idol" in the fourth year of the live TV competition.

"I can't believe that I become the Indian Idol. I am grateful to all my fans and those who voted for me to reach the top position," Sourabhee, 22, told us over telephone from Mumbai.

"It feels like I'm still at the rehearsals. I thank all of you for making a girl the 'Indian Idol' and shall try to continue to entertain all of you."

Accompanied by her parents and a galaxy of actors including Katrina Kaif, John Abraham and Sonali Bendre, Sourabhee received a contract award worth Rs.10 million and a TATA Winger car besides other awards at the show's finale hosted by Sony Entertainment channel.

Sourabhee, who had completed a Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA), won the fourth edition of "Indian Idol", pipping Torsha Sarkar of West Bengal and Kapil Thapa of Dehradun in the final round.

"A platform like 'Indian Idol' to show off her talent, getting a standing ovation from renowned personalities like Javed Akhtar, Anu Malik, Kailash Kher and John Abraham is a lifetime experience for both Sourabhee and us," said Sunil Debbarmam, her father.

Said Pradyot Bikram Kishore Manikya, who belongs to Tripura's erstwhile royal family and is one of the main sponsors of Sourabhee: "What Shillong's Amit Paul missed by a whisker in the last season of the 'Indian Idol' show, Sourabhee made it with the overwhelming support from the music crazy people of the northeast."