Two weeks of sheer hard work made DPS Megacity the Champion of Champions School at Subhas Bose Institute of Hotel Management presents TTIS Challenge 2020 powered by Winkies, the Cake Specialist.

A student of the school, Debangana Sengupta, was crowned the Champion of Champions student.

Both trophies were handed over at a prize distribution ceremony at City Centre Salt Lake on Sunday.

A first-timer at TTIS Challenge, Debangana mesmerised the audience with her rendition of Satyam Shivam Sundaram. “It’s my favourite song but I thought I won’t be able to sing it well,” said the Class VIII student, whose music idols are father Proloy Sengupta and Lata Mangeshkar.

Debangana was adjudged the best performer in Fusion Band and the second runner-up in Eastern Solo. “I found the competition quite tough. Everybody is so gifted. I will be back again, better prepared,” said the girl, who said her greatest learning was to respect different talents.

The 13-year-old loves Bollywood numbers and wants to be a professional singer.

Around 25 students from DPS Megacity rehearsed day in and day out to give their best on the TTIS Challenge stage. “We had decided we would try hard for the trophy this time. Our teachers were very supportive, too. They always tell us to give equal importance to studies and extra-curricular activities. We have regular jam sessions in school. So, exams may have been round the corner but for the last few days all our focus was on the Challenge,” said Rupak Bhattacharya of Class XI, a member of the fusion and unconventional bands and also the vice-captain of the school’s cultural department.

Debangana Sengupta, the Champion of Champions Student, performs in the Fusion Band category

The school also aced in Tug of War for boys and Fusion Dance besides finishing third in Tug of War for girls and second in Unconventional Orchestra.

There were other winners, too, whose indomitable spirit made them shine bright.

Rushali Gupta of South City International School performed in X-Factor even though her father had been in hospital, having suffered a stroke. “My father was discharged from a hospital in Durgapur today. My mother is there with him. My mock exams are on. Yet, I had to come here,” said the Class X student, the second runner-up. “I could participate because of my mother’s support.”

Students of Griffins International School, Kharagpur, reached City Centre Salt Lake early every morning to practise for the day’s events. Saturday morning saw them jamming in an underpass near the mall as a crowd of listeners gathered around them.

The boys won the Unconventional Orchestra, playing a medley of such popular tunes as Shape of You and Believer. “We were not getting enough time to practise since we have to travel to and from Kharagpur every day. So, we practised right here at the competition venue,” Ishant Sharma of Class IX said.

Filmmaker Mainak Bhaumik, the chief guest, appreciated the students’ efforts. “The city has a lot of hidden talent. So this is a great platform to see them bloom,” he said.