The first season of Indian Idol remains one of the most iconic reality shows in Indian television history. Even after nearly two decades, viewers still remember contestants like Abhijeet Sawant, Amit Sana, Rahul Vaidya and Prajakta Shukre, who became household names after the show. While several reality shows have attempted to recreate the same magic over the years, very few have managed to leave behind a cultural impact similar to the first season of Indian Idol.
Now, years later, Prajakta Shukre has opened up about the dynamics between Rahul Vaidya and Amit Sana during the competition. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Prajakta recalled how Rahul’s habit of joking around would sometimes affect Amit deeply.
Prajakta Shukre on Rahul Vaidya teasing Amit Sana
Prajakta shared that Rahul often joked around with fellow contestants, but at times his humour crossed into mockery, something Amit Sana did not always take lightly.
“Rahul used to joke around and make fun of people. That’s his nature — he likes pulling people’s legs. But sometimes the other person is unable to take it sportingly and it starts feeling more like mockery. We did notice that,” she said.
Talking about Amit Sana’s personality, Prajakta explained that he was more reserved and sensitive by nature. “Amit’s personality is such that he tends to retreat into his shell, so he would get hurt easily. This happened during the competition as well.”
She further revealed that Rahul and Amit were once roommates during the show, but things became uncomfortable between them. “At one point, they were even roommates. Then a lot happened between them and they eventually changed rooms.”
Prajakta added that while most contestants treated Rahul’s comments as harmless fun in group settings, Amit may have felt more hurt during private interactions. “If Rahul joked in front of all of us, nobody felt it crossed limits and everyone would laugh it off. But personally, one-on-one, Amit probably felt it more deeply.”
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Recalling specific moments, she said, “Sometimes Amit would be practising alone and Rahul would say things like, ‘How much more riyaaz will you do?’ Since they were roommates, this happened often. We only realised later, after watching the telecast, how much it may have affected Amit. At that time, we didn’t fully understand how hurt he was feeling.”
According to Prajakta, Amit had also expressed his discomfort to others. “He had shared with us that the way Rahul spoke to him made him feel bad.”
‘Rahul definitely crossed a line’
When asked directly whether Rahul Vaidya crossed a line during the show, Prajakta admitted that he did, especially in his interactions with Amit Sana.
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“Yes, definitely. Mostly with Amit Sana. Otherwise, in general, Rahul’s nature has always been to joke around and tease people,” she said.
What Amit Sana had earlier said about Rahul Vaidya
Earlier, in another interview with Siddharth Kannan, Amit Sana had also spoken about his equation with Rahul Vaidya. Amit described Rahul as someone who could be aggressive in his approach. He said Rahul liked accumulating power and had strong connections in influential circles, which made him very different from the rest.
Amit admitted that he often felt intimidated by Rahul’s personality. “The way he carried himself used to intimidate me. Some people project themselves so strongly that they leave no room for others, and Rahul had that kind of nature.”
At the same time, Amit clarified that Rahul was not a bad person. “He is a good person, but professionally, he had an attitude where he wouldn’t let even a bird flap its wings around him.”
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Amit also admitted that their personalities often clashed. “We had arguments. He would deliberately say things that would provoke me. I would get offended, and he seemed to enjoy that.”
He further claimed that during the show he sometimes felt Rahul lacked respect for people around him. “He would call cameramen by names and make fun of people. That was his external side. But at the same time, I know he is a very good son and probably a very good friend too.”
The first season of Indian Idol ended with Abhijeet Sawant emerging as the winner, while Amit Sana finished as the first runner-up. Rahul Vaidya secured the third position, and Prajakta Shukre was among the top four contestants of the landmark season.
