Elvish Yadav Lights Up the I-POPSTAR Stage on Amazon MX Player

Mumbai, India – November 7, 2025: Social media star Elvish Yadav dropped in as a surprise guest on I-POPSTAR, Amazon MX Player’s independent music reality show, bringing energy and big reactions to Episodes 9 to 11. The show streams free on Amazon MX Player, where mentors King, Aastha Gill, Aditya Rikhari and Parmish Verma are searching for India’s next pop icon.

I-POPSTAR, which premiered on Amazon MX Player on October 18, 2025, has positioned itself as a home for independent music rather than a standard singing contest. It rewards originality, songwriting and collaboration, and each mentor leads a team of contestants through weekly performances, pop scores and eliminations. After Kapil Tamane’s emotional exit, the stage came alive again with Elvish Yadav’s unexpected entry. He praised Maan Pannu’s performance and spoke warmly about the show’s fresh indie feel, a reminder of why the series has struck a chord with young audiences.

Episode 9: fresh twists and musical fire

The night opened on a high with rapper Wicked Sunny (Vikalp Dwivedi), who set the tone for a fierce round. Soon after, Team Aastha won the power to send two contestants into the danger zone and chose Abhijay and Ravneet. That twist put pressure on the rest of the field and made every performance that followed count.

Anurag Srivastava impressed both the judges and the fans with an experimental tune that earned a perfect pop score. Radhika Bhide’s soulful act touched hearts, although the mentors encouraged her to push herself further. The mentors then joined her for an impromptu jam, creating one of the warmest, most collaborative moments of the evening. The episode closed with Rishabh Panchal’s remarkable comeback, as he turned the previous week’s lowest score into a perfect one, easily one of the most inspiring turnarounds of the season.

Episode 10: star power and emotional highs

Emotions ran high as the next episode began. The “Lion of Maharashtra,” Rohit Raut, delivered a powerful tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that left the room spellbound. His act drew a standing ovation and an encore request from Elvish Yadav himself.

Jaya Rohilla’s vibrant performance then sparked a lively debate among the mentors. Parmish and Aditya felt the hook could be stronger, while Aastha passionately defended her. The tension melted away when Aastha joined Jaya, and Elvish, for a fun, spontaneous jam that she sealed with her playful “nazar ka tika.” Inderjeet’s melancholic but nervous performance drew mixed reactions, and behind the scenes fans got a treat as Parmish, Elvish and Inderjeet filmed a light-hearted reel with King capturing the fun on camera.

Real stories and honest moments

Charan’s heartfelt song, inspired by his parents’ love story, brought tears to the audience and the mentors alike. Parmish Verma then took the spotlight with a medley of his hits Flex and Follow Up, turning the set into what Elvish called a “live concert.” It was a reminder that the mentors are working artists themselves, not just judges behind a desk.

The night took an emotional turn when Abhijay Sharma broke down mid-performance and admitted that internal voting was affecting his spirit. The mentors rallied around him straight away. King encouraged him to sing from the heart, Aditya spoke about artistic honesty, and Parmish reminded him that every artist’s journey is personal and unique. It became one of the show’s most powerful and human moments.

Episode 11: rising pressure and emotional goodbyes

As the competition intensified, Ravneet, Abhijay, Inderjeet and Riya landed in the danger zone. In the end, Ravneet and Abhijay were eliminated, leaving the remaining contestants one step closer to the title. Rishabh Panchal won the Stylish Performer of the Week award for his confident comeback and polished act.

To close the night, Elvish Yadav thanked the judges and contestants, calling I-POPSTAR “a true celebration of raw talent and passion.” His appearance gave the show a burst of attention at a key point in the season, just as the race to the finale was heating up.

How the season ended

Two of the contestants who stood out in these episodes went all the way. At the grand finale in late November 2025, Rohit Raut from Team Parmish was crowned the first-ever I-POPSTAR and took home Rs 7 lakh, while Rishabh Panchal from Team King finished as runner-up with Rs 3 lakh. You can read the full story in our report on Rohit Raut becoming India’s first I-POPSTAR, along with our preview of the I-POPSTAR grand finale.

I-POPSTAR and the rise of Indian indie music

I-POPSTAR has shown it is much more than a singing contest. It is a stage for authentic voices, bold writing and honest stories, and each episode pushed Indian indie pop toward something more personal and experimental. The show was one of several original hits for the platform, which we looked at in our piece on how Amazon MX Player powered India’s streaming boom in 2025.

Watch I-POPSTAR streaming free on Amazon MX Player, available on mobile, connected TVs, Prime Video, Fire TV, the Amazon Shopping app and Airtel Xstream.

About the author

Neha Nikharge

Neha Nikharge is Assistant Editor at Awesome TV and a writer for AWSM Times. Neha covers Bollywood, OTT releases, celebrity interviews and pop culture for South Asian audiences in the US and around the world, and has written more than 4,500 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.

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