‘Zubeen wanted to build a studio on the Brahmaputra’

“I recorded ‘Vidhi re’ for the Bengali film ‘Sheto Ajo Bojhena’ with him less than two weeks before he passed,” exclaims Jeet Gannguli, remembering his friend of 30 years, Zubeen Garg, who tragically died on September 19 when scuba diving in Singapore. With ‘O bondhu re’, their first song from the 2004 film ‘Premi’, echoing in his ears, the singer-composer shares that Zubeen had never turned away anyone who came to him for help, yet never spoke about his philanthropy.

“He had adopted 15 children and during the pandemic, turned his home into a Covid hospital,” informs Jeet, pointing out that lakhs came to the 52-year-old’s funeral — recognised as the fourth largest global gathering by Limca Book of Records — not only to mourn the singer he was, but also to honour the selfless, large-hearted man whose songs reflected a pure soul. “My father would say, ‘you enter the world, alone and crying, but if you do good work, people will cry for you when you leave’. Zubeen proved it true.”

The late singer, who was also a lyricist, composer, music producer, actor, screenwriter and filmmaker, started singing at the age of three. He released his first album ‘Anamika’ at 20, played 12 instruments and recorded over 38,000 songs in 40 different languages. ‘Ya Ali’ from the 2004 Hindi film ‘Gangster’ made him a sensation worldwide. Producer Mukesh Bhatt reveals that after over 40 unsatisfactory voice tests, someone had recommended this north-eastern singer. Since Vishesh Films has always promoted new talent, he flew Zubeen down to Mumbai. “We rehearsed with him for two days and recorded on the third. Listening to him, I told Pritam (composer), a star is born. After that, he just exploded!” marvels Bhatt, ruing that they didn’t collaborate again. “His voice was magical, but you couldn’t use it for love songs — he needed Sufi songs like ‘Ya Ali’.

Jeet points out that Zubeen was “apni marzi ka malik”. He never asked questions about the song, film, his remuneration or the promotion unlike other singers, upcoming and established. He was never afraid to raise his voice for what he believed was right. He never compromised and could not be contained. “One day he just locked up his Andheri flat and returned to Assam, saying he felt stifled in Mumbai and grew into a bigger icon there,” the music director points out.

Once Jeet visited him in Assam to record a song. Around 3 am, Zubeen, who liked singing late at night, suddenly pushed Jeet into his car — which had no number plate because he was ‘king’ in Assam. Driving at breakneck speed, he stopped only after reaching a jungle he often visited, to eat khichdi with a sadhu and meet his friend Kallu. “When I learnt Kallu was a snake, I refused to get down. He finally drove us back to his studio up on a hill and started singing, since I had an early morning flight,” he narrates.

Suddenly, Jeet spotted what he thought were plastic spiders in a corner till one of them started moving. Alerted by his scream, a studio hand came running and aghast at seeing Jeet so close to them, admitted that their sting was poisonous and only Zubeen, who slept with them, had never been harmed.

 “One with God, he was loved by all. At his funeral, not just his people, even his dogs, a monkey and a cow were crying. We will miss him. Zubeen loved water. He wanted to build a studio on the river Brahmaputra. He celebrated life through his music. He’s gone now, mon mane na,” Jeet chokes up.