Devender Pal Singh, also credited as Devenderpal Singh, is an Indian playback singer known for his Sufi and classical style. He first came to national attention in 2012 as one of the three finalists of Indian Idol 6, made his film debut the same year with Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, and has since sung for films such as Manmarziyaan, Haseen Dillruba, Goodbye and Uunchai. He is also one of the past contestants Sony is bringing back for Indian Idol 17: Legends Return, which began in October 2026.
| Devender Pal Singh — Quick Biography & Personal Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | Devender Pal Singh |
| Also Credited As | Devenderpal Singh |
| Profession | Playback singer, live performer |
| Date of Birth / Age | Not publicly known |
| Hometown | Ludhiana, Punjab, India |
| Birthplace | Patna, according to Kirtan Sewa (Wikipedia lists Ludhiana) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Music Teacher | Principal Sukhwant Singh (his ustad, in Ludhiana) |
| Singing Style | Sufi, classical, Gurmat Sangeet |
| Indian Idol | Season 6 (2012), runner-up and one of three finalists |
| Film Debut | “Luni Hasi”, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (2012) |
| Known For | “Bijlee Giregi”, “Lakeeran”, “Gulbadan”, “Maaye” |
| Returning For | Indian Idol 17: Legends Return, partnered with Mayuri Saha |
Devender Pal Singh performing in Brampton, Canada, in 2017. Photo: Bhej, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Roots and Musical Training
Devender Pal Singh’s roots are split between two cities. Kirtan Sewa, a Gurbani kirtan platform, says he was born in Patna. He is now based in Ludhiana, Punjab, where he lives with Principal Sukhwant Singh, the ustad who accepted him as a pupil. Ludhiana is the city he represented on Indian Idol, and Wikipedia lists it as his birthplace.
According to Kirtan Sewa, he began singing at the age of nine. Before television fame he won Voice of Bihar, came third in a competition held in memory of the singer Ishmeet Singh, and was runner-up of Gawoh Sachi Bani, a reality show based on Gurmat Sangeet. Alongside film music he is trained in Gurmat Sangeet, the Sikh tradition of devotional singing.
When Rediff profiled the Indian Idol 6 finalists in August 2012, it listed his age as 17 and his home as Ludhiana. By then, it said, he had five years of classical training behind him; he played the harmonium, kept up a regular riyaaz, and hoped one day to sing the way Sonu Nigam does.
Indian Idol 6 Journey
Season six of Indian Idol ran on Sony TV between 1 June and 1 September 2012. Devender reached the finale as one of its three finalists, and Vipul Mehta won the title. Wikipedia’s season table lists Devender and Amit Kumar as the runners-up, while Kirtan Sewa describes his finish as third place. The same account says he was a favourite of judges such as the late Asha Bhosle, and that Lata Mangeshkar noticed him too.
Playback Singing Career
His film career started in 2012, the year of his Indian Idol run, with “Luni Hasi” in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, composed by Amit Trivedi and sung with Harshdeep Kaur. Trivedi has composed many of his best-known songs since, from Manmarziyaan‘s “Bijlee Giregi” to “Lakeeran” in Haseen Dillruba, “Maaye” in Goodbye and “Arre Oh Uncle” in Uunchai.
| Year | Film | Song | Composer | Co-singer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana | Luni Hasi | Amit Trivedi | Harshdeep Kaur |
| 2017 | Firangi | Gulbadan | Jatinder Shah | Mamta Sharma |
| 2018 | Manmarziyaan | Bijlee Giregi | Amit Trivedi | Babu Haabi |
| 2019 | Ardaas Karaan (Punjabi) | Satgur Pyare; Bandeya | Jatinder Shah | Sunidhi Chauhan |
| 2020 | Jai Mummy Di | Jai Mummy Di | Parag Chhabra | Nikhita Gandhi, Vivek Hariharan, Parag Chhabra |
| 2021 | Haseen Dillruba | Lakeeran | Amit Trivedi | Asees Kaur |
| 2022 | Goodbye | Maaye; Maaye (Reprise) | Amit Trivedi | Deedar Kaur; Shreya Ghoshal (reprise) |
| 2022 | Uunchai | Arre Oh Uncle | Amit Trivedi | Divya Kumar |
Beyond Hindi films, he has sung Punjabi devotional songs: the 2019 Punjabi film Ardaas Karaan paired him with Sunidhi Chauhan on “Satgur Pyare” and “Bandeya”. In 2022 he sang “Arre Oh Uncle” with Divya Kumar for Sooraj Barjatya’s Uunchai, and both versions of “Maaye” in Goodbye, with Deedar Kaur and, on the reprise, Shreya Ghoshal.
Personal Life
Devender has kept his private life out of the headlines. We could not find a reliable published source for his date of birth, his marital status or his family, so this page does not state them. His public story is centred on music: years of training under Principal Sukhwant Singh in Ludhiana, a grounding in Gurmat Sangeet, and live performances such as the Canada concert pictured above.
Indian Idol 17: Legends Return
Devender is among the earlier contestants returning for Indian Idol Legends Return, a season Sony presents as a musical reunion of singers from previous seasons. The returning singers compete in pairs in front of judge Himesh Reshammiya. Episodes air at 8 PM on Saturdays and Sundays from 17 October 2026 on Sony Entertainment Television, and the season streams on Sony LIV. See the full Indian Idol 17 contestants list for all the pairs.
His partner, according to Indian Broadcasting World, is Mayuri Saha, who came 11th in Indian Idol 15.
The first promo for the season also features Abhijeet Sawant, Sayli Kamble, Prajakta Shukre and Anshika Chonkar, among other returning singers.
Lesser-Known Facts About Devender Pal Singh
- Two spellings: film credits list him as both Devender Pal Singh and Devenderpal Singh.
- Started young: he began singing at the age of nine, according to Kirtan Sewa.
- Reality-show veteran: before Indian Idol he won Voice of Bihar and was runner-up of the Gurmat Sangeet show Gawoh Sachi Bani.
- Harmonium player: Rediff noted in 2012 that he plays the harmonium.
- Sonu Nigam fan: Rediff reported in 2012 that he hoped to follow Sonu Nigam’s path as a singer.
- Same-year debut: his first film song came out in 2012, the year of his Indian Idol finale.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is Devender Pal Singh?
He is a Ludhiana-based playback singer with a Sufi and classical style. He was one of the three finalists of Indian Idol 6 in 2012 and has sung for films including Manmarziyaan, Haseen Dillruba, Goodbye and Uunchai.
2. What is Devender Pal Singh’s age?
His date of birth has not been published by a reliable source, so his exact age is not publicly known. Rediff listed his age as 17 when it profiled the Indian Idol 6 finalists in August 2012.
3. Which Indian Idol season was Devender Pal Singh in?
He was in Indian Idol Season 6, which aired on Sony TV in 2012. Vipul Mehta won, and Devender was one of the runners-up.
4. Where is Devender Pal Singh from?
He represented Ludhiana, Punjab, on Indian Idol. Kirtan Sewa says he was born in Patna and lives in Ludhiana with his ustad.
5. What are Devender Pal Singh’s famous songs?
His film songs include “Bijlee Giregi” (Manmarziyaan), “Lakeeran” (Haseen Dillruba), “Gulbadan” (Firangi), “Maaye” (Goodbye), “Arre Oh Uncle” (Uunchai) and his debut, “Luni Hasi” (Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana).
6. Who is Devender Pal Singh’s wife?
No reliable source has published details of his marital status, so we have not included any.
7. Who trained Devender Pal Singh?
Kirtan Sewa says his ustad (teacher) is Principal Sukhwant Singh of Ludhiana, who took him on as his student.
8. Is Devender Pal Singh in Indian Idol 17?
Yes. Sony has him in the Legends Return line-up with Mayuri Saha as his partner, and the season began on Sony Entertainment Television on 17 October 2026.
