Alisha Behura wins first season of 'So You Think You Can Dance'; Kushal Paul hailed as 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' winner!

New Delhi: Last night was a grand affair for both music and dance on two different channels respectively. If Zee TV's popular musical show 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' got its young winner in the face of Kolkata lad Kushal Paul from music composer Pritam Chakraborty's team, then dance reality show 'So You Think You Can Dance' India season one got its first winner—Alisha Behura.

Kushal Paul's statement after winning the musical show read, “Never in my wildest dream had I thought of such a big win”. He added, “The show has given me a chance to meet and perform in front of legendary singers like Asha tai (Asha Bhosle), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Kumar Sanu and I am really thankful to Zee TV for giving me this golden opportunity.

"I am also grateful to the audiences for having voted for me and showering me with so much love. But this journey wouldn’t have been the same without the guidance, support and love of my mentor, Pritam da. I want to dedicate this victory to my mentor and my family," said he.

While Alisha, who hails from Chhattisgarh was quoted as saying, “"With this win, I encourage all those aspiring dancers in our country to think big and not restrict them to anything." Alisha won a cash prize of Rs 2.5 million, a Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 and gift vouchers worth Rs. 20,000 from YepMe. She was among the top four contestants and faced stiff competition from Tarun Nihalani, Kalpita Kachroo and Aryan Patra.

Interestingly, both Kushal and Alisha are 17 years of age.

(With IANS inputs)