A beaming Qazi Touqeer and an equally ecstatic Ruprekha Banerjee were declared winners of the "Fame Gurukul" reality TV show here Friday after 16 weeks of nerve-wracking competition.

Each won a Rs.10 million contract with Sony TV and a Maruti Alto car. Sony received over 8.7 million SMSs for the final episode based on which the winners were chosen.

TV channels beamed images of thronging crowds outside the Srinagar home of Qazi, who with his musical talent, showmanship and eloquence won the hearts of viewers not only in Kashmir but also across the country.

Scores of Kashmiris could be seen cheering him despite the bitter cold in Srinagar, saying Qazi had spotlighted their state in the entire India.

And Qazi, overwhelmed by the love and enthusiasm showered on him, reciprocated, saying: "I have done Kashmiris proud."

In Ruprekha's hometown Kolkata, people were equally excited. As soon as she was declared the winner, her family, well-wishers and fans who had come together celebrated by smearing each other with coloured powder.

The third finalist in Fame Gurukul was Rex d'Souza, who lost out to the winning pair. The panel of judges included Javed Akhtar and Shankar Mahadevan.