Ishmeet Singh, winner of the popular Star Plus reality show Voice of India 2007, died mysteriously by drowning in Maldives last evening. He drowned in the swimming pool of his hotel Chaaya Island Dhonveli in North Male in the Maldives where he went to perform in a concert.
Ishmeet shot to fame after winning the Star India TV Voice of India contest last year. Ishmeet had gone to the pool but accidentally fell into the deep end leading to his drowning. The B.Com second year student of MNC college in Mumbai went to the pool for frolicking but fell into its deep end leading to his drowning.
Last year Ishmeet was among the top two finalists on Amul Star Voice of India and was crowned the winner on November 24, 2007, beating Harshit Saxena. He was also one of the contestants of Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, a singing reality show on Star Plus and represented the Champions team. He was eliminated on June 20, 2008.
Lata Mangeshkar, whom Ishmeet and Harshit had met as contestants and who gave away the winner’s trophy, recalled Ishmeet as a sweet fellow. She said, “I feel very sad. He’d come to meet me, sang for me, and I had nudged him to pay a little more attention to classical training. He’d told me, ‘Mein ek din aapko bahot bada ban ke dikhaoonga’ (one day I’ll make a big name for myself),” Lata told a TV channel.
Farah Khan, judge on Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar , said, “He was a gentleman, never saying anything bad about any contestant. Once I was having a late dinner in the studio and he sat beside me, sharing my food. He told me, ‘You have so many fans. I’d never thought I would one day eat sitting side by side with you.’ I still can’t believe he’s dead.”
Playback singers Abhijeet and Alka Yagnik, who are also judges on music reality shows, have expressed shock at Ishmeet’s death. “It’s shocking. It’s a cruel thing that has happened to him. I still can’t believe it,” said Yagnik.
