Anshika Chonkar is a singer from Mumbai, Maharashtra, best known as one of the finalists of Indian Idol 16 (2025–26), where she finished fifth as the 4th runner-up. Long before that, as a child she reached the Top 20 of The Voice India Kids season 2 in Himesh Reshammiya’s team — and Himesh is now the judge of Indian Idol 17: Legends Return, for which she has been announced among the returning singers.
| Anshika Chonkar — Quick Biography & Personal Details | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Anshika Chonkar |
| Profession | Singer, Stage Performer |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly confirmed |
| Age | Not publicly confirmed (sources disagree) |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Indian Idol | Season 16 (2025–26), 5th place (4th runner-up) |
| The Voice India Kids | Season 2 (2017–18), Top 20, Team Himesh |
| Indian Idol 17 Pair | Rishi Singh (Indian Idol 13 winner), as announced |
| Known For | Performances such as “Rangeela Re”, “Desi Girl” and “Hawa Hawai” on Indian Idol 16 |
| Net Worth | No reliably verified figure has been published |
Anshika Chonkar, the Mumbai singer who reached the Indian Idol 16 finale.
Early Life and Family
Anshika Chonkar comes from Mumbai, Maharashtra — Wikipedia’s The Voice India Kids line-up and Fremantle’s Indian Idol 16 contestant profile both list her as being from the city. Her exact date of birth has not been confirmed by a reliable source: profile websites give conflicting dates, and media reports during Indian Idol 16 gave different ages for her, so we have not printed one.
Reliable sources have published little about her parents, but she gave viewers a glimpse of home life during a Makar Sankranti special of Indian Idol 16 in January 2026, when she brought traditional tilgul to the set for the judges and host. “We celebrate Makar Sankranti at home wearing black clothes, and the best part is eating tilgul,” she said, as reported by Filmibeat.
The Voice India Kids (2017–18)
Anshika’s first national TV platform was the second season of The Voice India Kids, which aired from 11 November 2017 to 11 March 2018. She was part of Team Himesh, coached by Himesh Reshammiya, and made the Top 20 of the season. Manashi Sahariah of Assam went on to win that edition.
Indian Idol 16 Journey
Indian Idol 16 premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on 18 October 2025, with Badshah, Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Dadlani as judges and Aditya Narayan as host. Fremantle India introduced her in its Top 12 line-up with a line that summed up her style: “Anshika Chonkar is not only a singer, she is a complete performer.”
Highlights from the season’s episode list include:
- “Rangeela Re” in the Top 16 round (8–9 November 2025)
- “Desi Girl” and “Hawa Hawai”
- “Tauba Tumhare Yeh Ishare” and “Kay Sera Sera” with playback singers Abhijeet and Kavita Krishnamurthy
- “Khamoshiyan” with Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep Rajan
- “Dum Maro Dum” with Shanmukha Priya
- “Alvida” (the KK song)
- “Aye Dil-E-Nadan” and “O Mere Raja” in the Top 6 round before the finale
Judge Shreya Ghoshal was among her biggest admirers. During the Sankranti episode she told her, “Anshika, tum one of the biggest rockstars of the world hone wali ho. Jahan-jahan jaogi, full houses honge.”
The Grand Finale
Anshika made it to the top six and into the grand finale, held on 25 and 26 July 2026. After the Spotlight Round knocked out Myscmme Bosu, Anshika and Suhail Sufi also exited the finale race on fewer votes; India TV reported that Sony Television gave each of them Rs 3 lakh in prize money. Jyotirmayee Nayak won the trophy, with Tanishk Shukla as 1st runner-up and Manraj Veer Singh as 2nd runner-up. Wikipedia’s final standings list Anshika fifth, as the 4th runner-up.
Indian Idol 17: Legends Return
Less than three months after her finale, Anshika is back on the Indian Idol stage. Indian Idol Legends Return is Sony Entertainment Television’s season of returning contestants; its first episode aired at 8 PM on 17 October 2026, a Saturday, and it runs every weekend on TV and SonyLIV. For Anshika the judge is a familiar face: Himesh Reshammiya coached her as a child on The Voice India Kids. See the full Indian Idol 17 contestants list for all the pairs.
She is not singing alone. The pairs listed in SET’s press release, as carried by Indian Broadcasting World, team her with Rishi Singh, the Indian Idol 13 winner of April 2023. AltBollywood counts 24 former contestants across 12 pairs, with several of her Indian Idol 16 co-finalists among them, and Anshika also appears in the first promo. Others in that promo include Abhijeet Sawant, Sayli Kamble and Prajakta Shukre; Devender Pal Singh is also in the line-up. Her Legends Return performances had not aired when this page was written.
Lesser-Known Facts
- Her coach as a child on The Voice India Kids, Himesh Reshammiya, is the judge of Indian Idol 17.
- She shared the Indian Idol 16 stage with Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep Rajan for “Khamoshiyan”.
- She brought tilgul to the judges for Makar Sankranti and explained her family’s custom of wearing black on the festival.
- Her Indian Idol 17 partner, Rishi Singh, is himself a former Indian Idol winner.
FAQ
1. Who is Anshika Chonkar?
Anshika Chonkar is a singer from Mumbai who finished fifth (4th runner-up) on Indian Idol 16 and is back for Indian Idol 17: Legends Return as one of its returning singers.
2. What is Anshika Chonkar’s age?
Her date of birth has not been confirmed by a reliable source, and the ages reported for her differ, so we have not stated one.
3. Where is Anshika Chonkar from?
She is from Mumbai, Maharashtra.
4. What was Anshika Chonkar’s rank in Indian Idol 16?
She reached the grand finale and finished fifth, as the 4th runner-up. Jyotirmayee Nayak won the season.
5. Who is Anshika Chonkar’s partner in Indian Idol 17?
The announced line-up pairs her with Rishi Singh, the winner of Indian Idol 13.
6. Was Anshika Chonkar on The Voice India Kids?
Yes. She was in Himesh Reshammiya’s team on The Voice India Kids season 2 (2017–18) and reached the Top 20.
7. What songs has Anshika Chonkar sung on Indian Idol?
Her Indian Idol 16 performances included “Rangeela Re”, “Desi Girl”, “Hawa Hawai”, “Alvida”, and “Khamoshiyan” with Pawandeep Rajan.
8. What did Shreya Ghoshal say about Anshika Chonkar?
On the Makar Sankranti episode, Shreya Ghoshal told her she was going to be “one of the biggest rockstars of the world”.
Related Biographies
More from the world of Indian Idol: playback singer Monali Thakur, an Indian Idol 2 contestant who finished ninth, and comedian Harsh Limbachiyaa, who appeared as a guest during Indian Idol 16.
