Jetshen Dohna Lama, a nine-year-old girl from Sikkim, is the winner of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs 9, the hit singing reality show involving children. She takes the trophy and the prize money of Rs. 10 lakh.
Nicknamed “mini Sunidhi Chauhan” singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan, Lama took up music at the age of three. Soft-spoken and almost always with a smile, Lama was adored by all the judges and the show’s host, Bharti Singh.
The singing powerhouse is from Sikkim’s Pakyong district.
"This is like a dream coming true. The competition was tough as all the contestants are very talented. My journey has been a great learning experience for me and I am grateful to all my mentors who have constantly supported me and helped me understand my potential as a singer," Lama said in a statement, news agency IANS reported.
“I would watch shows like Elsa and get hooked to the songs. That’s how I started my singing journey,” she told indianexpress.com after her grand win.
Soon after she was declared winner, Lama’s name became one of the top internet trends in India as congratulatory messages poured in from all quarters.
“A Proud Moment for all of us as Jetshen Dohna Lama from Sikkim wins the ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs Season 9’. Congratulations Jetshen Dohna Lama. I wish you the best for your future. May you continue to add numerous quills of achievement to your crown,” Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted.
“She is a silent girl. But after coming here (on the show), she has become confidence. I am very proud. She has also made our northeast very proud,” her father Roshan Lama said on the show finale. Her mother, Younis Hamal, is regularly accompanies Lama to the show.
She enthralled viewers by singing hits such Kishore Kumar’s “Roop tera mastana” and "Badtameez Dil" on the last episode.
"What voice," exclaimed actor Jackie Shroff who was a special guest on the show. He also urged filmmaker Anurag Kashyap to use her voice in his next film. Kashyap and music director Amit Trivedi were the other two guests.
Jetshen Dohna Lama: Pride of Sikkim
To show Sikkim’s support to Lama, the political secretary to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang came as a guest on the show finale. “Sikkim is a small, beautiful state. She (Lama) is the first from the state to reach the finals of a national-level television show.
She and her parents will return to her home state on January 25. Preparations are on to welcome her, Voice of Sikkim reported, quoting Jacob Khaling, the Chief Minister’s political secretary.
The other five finalists on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs 9, which aired on Sunday on Zee TV and Zee5, were Atanu Mishra, Atharva Bakshi, Dnyaneshwari Gadage, Rafa Yeasmin and Harsh Sikandar.
Shankar Mahadevan, composer Anu Malik and singer Neeti Mohan were the three judges on the show.
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