Telugu Indian Idol
| Telugu Indian Idol | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality television |
| Created by | Simon Fuller |
| Based on | Simon Fuller |
| Directed by | Advait Shelke, Ujjwal Anand |
| Presented by |
|
| Judges |
|
| Theme music composer | Julian Gingell Barry Stone Cathy Dennis |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Telugu |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 90 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Production company | Fremantle |
| Original release | |
| Network | Aha[1] |
| Release | 25 February 2022 – present |
Telugu Indian Idol is an Indian Telugu-language music competition television series and is part of Indian Idol. It is Telugu version of the Pop Idol format. First season of the show was premiered on 25 February 2022 on Aha.[2][3] Vagdevi was announced as the winner of the first season.[4] Third season was premiered on 14 June 2024.[5]
Season 1
Production
The finale episode of the season was initially scheduled to be shot on 6 June 2022, but was postponed to 7 June 2022.[6]
Judges and presenters
Sreerama Chandra was signed as the presenter of the first season after becoming the runner-up of the reality show Bigg Boss 5.[7][8] While, the judges of the first season are Nithya Menen, Karthik and Thaman S.[9] After Karthik was announced as one of the judges, the show faced criticism. Several netizens argued that he is accused of MeToo and slammed the production for choosing him.[10]
Contestants
| Standing | Name | Hometown | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kumara Vagdevi | Nellore | Winner |
| 2nd | Srinivas Darimisetty | Kadapa | 1st Runner-up |
| 3rd | Vaishnavi Kovvuri | Chennai | 2nd Runner-up |
| K Pranathi | Hyderabad | Finalist | |
| Boda Jayanth Maadhur | Ramagundam | Finalist | |
| Lalasa Rachapudi | Hyderabad | Semi-Finalist | |
| Sake Renu Kumar | Tirupati | Eliminated 6th | |
| Aditi Bhavaraju | Hyderabad | Eliminated 5th | |
| Maruthi Kodimoju | Rajanna Sircilla | Eliminated 4th | |
| A. Manya Chandran | Tirupati | Eliminated 3rd | |
| Chitta Lakshmi Sravani | Kothagudem | Eliminated 2nd | |
| Jaskiran Singh | Punjab | Eliminated 1st |
Season 2
Judges and presenters
Hemachandra was signed as the presenter of the season. Thaman S and Karthik returned as the guests for the third time, while Nithya Menen was replaced by Geetha Madhuri as the judge.
Contestants
| Standing | Name | Hometown | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Soujanya Bhagavatula | Visakhapatnam | Winner |
| 2nd | Jayaram | Hyderabad | 1st Runner Up |
| 3rd | Lasya Priya | Siddipet | 2nd Runner-up |
| Sruthi Nanduri | New Jersey | Finalist | |
| Karthikeya | Hyderabad | Finalist | |
| Pranathi | Visakhapatnam | Semi-Finalist | |
| Chakrapani | Palasa | Eliminated 7th | |
| Hitesh Sai (wildcard) | Vizag | Eliminated 6th | |
| Saketh | Hyderabad | Eliminated 5th | |
| Aditya | Hyderabad | Eliminated 4th | |
| Sai Vaishnavi | Vijayawada | Eliminated 3rd | |
| Manasa | Hyderabad | Eliminated 2nd | |
| Yuti Harshavardhana | Bengaluru | Eliminated 1st |
Celebrity guests
| Episode No | Guest Name |
|---|---|
| 5 - 7 | Nandamuri Balakrishna |
| 8 - 9 | Koti |
| 10 - 11 | Baba Sehgal |
| 12 - 13 | S. P. Charan |
| 13 | Nani |
| 14 - 15 | Chandrabose |
| 16 - 17 | B. V. Nandini Reddy, Santosh Sobhan, Malvika Nair |
| 20 - 21 | Smita |
| 22 - 23 | K.S Chithra |
| 24 - 25 | Devi Sri Prasad |
| 28 - 29 | Allu Arjun |
Season 3
According to reports, for season 3 there were 150,000 auditions were conducted to shortlist 12 contestants,[11] Third season was premiered on 14 June 2024,[3] with two episodes being released every week.[12]
Judges and presenters
Sreerama Chandra returned as the presenter of the season for the second time, after the first season. Thaman S, Karthik and Geetha Madhuri returned as the judges of the season.
Contestants
| Standing | Name | Hometown | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nazeeruddin | Tadepalligudem | Winner |
| 2nd | Anirudh Suswaram | Kurnool | 1st Runner Up |
| 3rd | Sri Keerthi | Vizag | 2nd Runner-up |
| Keerthana | Kakinada | Finalist | |
| Skanda Veluvali | Hyderabad | Finalist | |
| Bharat Raj | Nizamabad | Semi Finalist | |
| Keshav Ram | Melbourne | Eliminated 7th | |
| Sai Vallabha | Nandyal | Eliminated 6th | |
| Abhigna (Wildcard Entry) | Virginia | Eliminated 5th | |
| Sri Dhruthi | Hyderabad | Eliminated 4th | |
| Rajani Sree Poornimaa | Hyderabad | Eliminated 3rd | |
| Hari Priya | Hyderabad | Eliminated 2nd | |
| Kushal Sharma | Jagtial | Eliminated 1st |
Celebrity guests
| Episode No | Guest Name |
|---|---|
| 5–6 | Vijay Deverakonda |
| 11–12 | Vijay Yesudas |
| 12 | Ankith Koyya, Narne Nithin,Ram Miriyala |
| 15–16 | Rashmika Mandanna |
| 19–20 | Nani |
| 21–22 | Naveen Polishetty |
Thaman had promised to give talented singers from the season a chance, and he kept his word by letting Nazeer and Bharat Raj sing the track “Firestorm” from OG.[13]
Season 4
Season 4 premiered on 29 August 2025, with the theme “Gully to Global – Manamera Idol”. The producers described the theme as a celebration of grassroots musical talent rising to international recognition. The season continued the show’s mission of discovering musical talent from across Telugu-speaking regions and abroad. Auditions were held on August 3rd in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The event took place near the JNTU Metro station and was promoted by the official aha.
Judges and Presenters
Singer and actor Sreerama Chandra returned as the main host for his third time, joined by Sameera Bharadwaj as the new co-host.
The judging panel remained consistent with the previous season, featuring S. S. Thaman, Geetha Madhuri, and Karthik.
Contestants
Below is the list of contestants for Season 4 (Top 12)
| Name | Hometown |
|---|---|
| Sristi Chilla | Michigan (Has ties from Warangal) |
| Pavan Kalyan | |
| Sahasra Kurma | Hyderabad |
| Manojna Bellamkonda | |
| D. Dheeraj | |
| Brinda (Winner) | |
| Shwetha Sudha | |
| Snigdha Eleswarapu | |
| Madduri Hemant | |
| Darshan Narayan | Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Nihal | Hyderabad |
| Shashank Vemuri |
Episodes
Below is the episodes table based on Aha’s listings and descriptions you provided:
| Episode No. | Title | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launch Episode – Part 1 | 29 August 2025 | Grand launch, theme introduction, new co-host joins, auditions begin |
| 2 | Launch Episode – Part 2 | 30 August 2025 | More audition glimpses, guest appearances by Sridevi & Nara Rohit |
| 3 | Gully to Global – Journey Begins Part 1 | 5 September 2025 | Auditions, decision week to choose theatre round participants |
| 4 | Gully to Global – Journey Begins Part 2 | 6 September 2025 | Final selection of Top 12 contestants |
| 5 | Grand Premiere with Genelia Part 1 | 12 September 2025 | Genelia Deshmukh presents the Top 12 contestants |
| 6 | Grand Premiere with Genelia Part 2 | 13 September 2025 | Continuation of the premiere celebrations |
| 7 | OG Idol Party Part 1 | 19 September 2025 | Judges host “OG’s party”; guest of honor: Kanmani, Priyanka Mohan |
| 8 | OG Idol Party Part 2 | 20 September 2025 | Party continues, elimination occurs |
| 9 | Panduga Special Part 1 | 26 September 2025 | Festive special episode, featuring Telusu Kada team |
| 10 | Panduga Special Part 2 | 27 September 2025 | Continuation of festive celebrations |
| 11 | Prema O Prema Part 1 | 3 October 2025 | Romantic themed performances, love secrets from judges |
| 12 | Prema O Prema Part 2 | 4 October 2025 | Double elimination, surprises, emotional performances |
References
- ^ Ltd, Arha Media & Broadcasting Pvt. Watch latest Episodes of Telugu Indian Idol Season 3 on aha in HD Quality. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via www.aha.video.
- ^ Today, Telangana (19 February 2022). "Telugu 'Indian Idol' hosted by Sreerama Chandra to debut on Feb 25". Telangana Today. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Watch Telugu Indian Idol on Aha Video". Aha Video. 25 February 2022.
- ^ "Exclusive - Telugu Indian Idol winner Vagdevi: I gave the responsibility of the prize money (Rs. 10 lakh) to my parents, wanted Rs 1 lakh for myself but got only Rs 50,000". The Times of India. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Telugu Indian Idol Season 3 Grand Launch On This Date; Aha To Stream Every Friday & Saturday". Times Now. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "'Telugu Indian Idol' grand finale featuring Megastar Chiranjeevi to be shot today? - Times of India". The Times of India. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ "Sreerama Chandra-hosted Indian Idol Telugu to premiere on TV soon? - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ Hymavathi, Ravali (22 June 2022). "Modern Love Hyderabad: This Tale Of Six By-Stories Is All Set To Release On This Date". The Hans India. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Nithya Menen, S Thaman, Karthik, Sreerama Chandra papped on the sets of Indian Idol Telugu; PICS". Pinkvilla. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Netizens fume as Indian Idol Telugu ropes in singer Karthik as judge - Times of India". The Times of India. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
- ^ Mohkh, Shiva (25 June 2024). "Telugu Indian Idol Season 3 on Aha From 15,000 Auditions to Top 12 – The Journey to Stardom". The Cults Bay. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Sistu, Suhas (7 June 2024). "'Telugu Indian Idol' Season 3 set to premiere from June 14th". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Sree (3 August 2025). "Telugu Indian Idol Singers Get Big Break in OG Movie". TeluguBulletin.com. Retrieved 9 October 2025.