Hazaribagh kid 12-year old Atharv Bakshi has emerged victorious in the popular reality show Superstar Singer 3 aired on Sony Entertainment Television. The finale for the season was aired on Saturday and Sunday while the winners were declared on August 4. The budding singer clinched the title after a melodious performance on the title track of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Bakshi from Jharkhand and Avirbhav from Kerala have been adjudged as the winners during a star studded finale titled ‘Future ka Finale’ and the young champions have been awarded a cash price of Rs 10 lakh each along with a trophy. The top 9 contestants on the show have also received a gift of Rs 1 lakh from the judge Neha Kakkar.

 “When the winner was announced I was shocked to hear my name as I had never expected this. Winning the trophy for ‘Music ka Dharohar’ will always be a very special experience for me. This is not just a reality show but a musical institute in itself and one gets to learn a lot. It is a dream come true and I want to thank my family for their unwavering support and also my captain Pawandeep bhaiya for guiding me,” said a beaming Bakshi.

The show was judged by popular Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar while Indian Idol fame Pawandeep Rajan, Arunita Kanjilal, Sayli Kamble, Salman Ali and Mohd Danish were the team captains. Bakshi was in the team of Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep Rajan.

The two winners announced on the show are from one category each- Music ka Dharohar which was done on the basis of the scores of the judge and the captains while the other was on the basis of public votes. Bakshi won the former while Avirbhav won the latter.

“These last five months on the show is something I will always cherish. I got an opportunity to learn from and perform in front of music maestros like Udit Narayanji, Pyarelalji, Anandji, Anup Jalotaji and Talat Azizji. Singing in front of them has been a great learning experience and I will always remember their words for improvement and hone my skills. Sukhwinder Sir blessed me with a mike and Vicky Kaushal praised me saying that the music industry will be proud to have a singer like me in the future,” added Bakshi.

Bakshi’s formal training in music started at the age of eight at Bollywood singer Suresh Wadkar’s Ajivasan Music Academy in Mumbai where he won a scholarship. Fond of playing cricket, apart from singing, Bakshi also plays the harmonium and the keyboard.

“I want to make a career in the music industry but I want to focus on my education right now. My parents have always stressed upon education. I want to become a music composer and singer. Till then I want to hone my singing skills. During the show whenever I got a chance I made sure to catch up on my studies. My parents and my sister are very proud of my achievement. I also want to thank the people of Hazaribagh and Jharkhand for their immense support and I am extremely grateful for all the love they have showered on me,” said Bakshi.

Born in Mumbai, Bakshi has his paternal home in Hazaribagh. His father Satyendra Bakshi is a software engineer and his mother Purva Bakshi has been a school teacher. His elder sister Dhriti Bakshi is a student of class 12.

“I am very proud of Atharv as he worked super hard to achieve this. As a parent and a teacher I want him to complete his education first and then make a career in music. Being a teacher I made sure he would sit twice a week so that his syllabus was up to date these past few months as well. As a family we want our children to have a good education above everything else,” said a proud mother Purva Bakshi.