Breathlessly waiting every Thursday and Friday for Indian Idol to air may have come to an end, but the top five finalists have had no time to rest.

While they may have become the favourite topic of every household’s dinnertime conversation, the finalists are now in the race to make a name for themselves under the arc lights.

Here’s a look at what they’ve been up to since.

Abhijeet Sawant

Mumbai lad Abhijeet Sawant has won the Indian Idol title along with a three-year contract with Sony Entertainment Television worth Rs 1crore, a Honda City car and a one-week trip to Switzerland.

Says Sawant, “Aab to meri zindagi hain Sony ke hawale. Currently, I am working on my solo album to be launched by Sony music soon. I have already finished recording the first song.”

Amit Sana

While he may have lost the title to Sawant by a small margin, the affable Amit Sana is far from disappointed over the upset and is gearing up to make his presence felt in the music world.

“The search for Indian Idol may be over, but I have to make intense preparations in order to establish myself as a playback singer. I have numerous offers for recording and stage shows but I have to still decide what projects I want to work on,” says Sana.

Rahul Vaidya

A whole lot of people may have been disappointed when they heard of Rahul Vaidya’s departure from the competition. But this 17-year-old is quite a lucky charmer. Immediately after his ouster, he was offered a Rs 20 lakh contract with Sony music.

What’s more, music director Anu Malik has also signed him on to sing for David Dhawan’s upcoming film Shaadi No 1. Here is one Idol you’d better watch out for!

Prajakta Shukre

This lovely lass from Mumbai won many hearts during the competition and was also tipped to be on of the favourites for the Indian Idol title. It’s a pity she didn’t make it to the top of the pops, but the sprightly girl has already embarked on a spree of live performances across the country.

Ravinder Ravi

This house painter from Ludhiana may have the “rustic” tag attached to him; nevertheless he has been creating waves in and around Punjab. Being on the show has added a new dimension to his career as a singer and he’s all thrilled to experiment with his new found fame.

What about the others?

Aditi Paul

This bubbly thing is rocking the stages in Kolkata with her lilting voice and dimpled smile. She is also undergoing rigorous riyaaz sessions in order to boost up her vocal abilities.

Amit Tandon

When Anu Malik suggested that Tandon become an actor instead of a singer, little did he know that it was a sign of things to come.

The queen of soaps, Ekta Kapoor, has snapped up the good-looking bloke for her next serial Kaisa Yeh Pyaar on Sony. Alongside making his acting debut in this three-way love story, Tandon will also be recording the soap’s title song.

Rahul Saxena

Parting ways with Indian Idol sure turned out lucky for this singer from Saharanpur. One of Farah Khan’s favourites during the competition, Saxena was signed on to sing for her next project, Happy New Year, with Anu Malik composing the music.

Determined to take up playback singing as his chosen career, Happy New Year will surely give him a dream start.

Mukesh Kumar

Life seems to be getting back to normal for this talented lad from a distant village in Madhya Pradesh. His ambition is to pursue playback singing and he is currently doing a number of stage shows across the country.

Harish Moyal

This boy-next-door with the endearing smile had Farah Khan going weak in the knees every time he flashed those pearlies at her. Moyal is all set to leave Delhi for his hometown Ujjain to practice singing under the tutelage of his guruji.