MUMBAI: The fifth season of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs' ended on Saturday 21 March with a grand finale that was held in Mumbai. Thirteen year old, Gagan Gaonkar, walked away with the champion trophy, along with a brand new Nissan Sunny Car.

Keshav Tyohar, Ridham Kalyan, Aishwarya Saha, Arunita Kanjilal were among the other four contestants who battled it out for the top prize.

The out and out rock star, Goankar, in an exclusive conversation with Radioandmusic.com said, “Initially while the winners were being announced, I was confused as to who was being showered with the audience’s votes and appreciation. Was it Keshav or me?”

“I was elated to know that the love and support for me led to that trophy. I would really like to thank my parents for supporting me, Zee TV for giving me such a big platform to perform and giving me an opportunity to showcase my talent globally” added the Li’l champ.

Gaonkar started training in Hindustani classical music when was 7 years old. Fondly called ‘3G’ on the show for his power-packed entertaining performances, he won more than a million hearts when he performed the title song of the movie 'Dhadkan'. The song, 'Dulhe Ka Sehra Suhana Lagta Hai' was originally sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Talking about his journey on ‘Li’l Champs’, Gaonkar said that the top most moments of the show included receiving appreciation from Bollywood singing legend- Asha Bhosle, and getting the opportunity to share the stage with Sonu Nigam for the finale. Receiving the champion’s trophy from Nigam was icing on the cake, the young singer added.

The thirteen year will soon be seen touring with Nigam for his first live concert in USA, along with co-contestant Arunita Kanjilal.

When asked how he managed his studies and the show, the little champ said, “We received a lot of support from the channel. Zee TV used to give us at least 2 hours every day amidst our rehearsals and shoots, and my school also supported me in many ways.”

Gaonkar said his most fun moments on the show were shared with 9 year old singer Varenyam Pandya, who he refers to as ‘Chotta Bomb’ and that he considered Arunita his toughest competitor.