Zubeen Garg

Zubeen Garg (born Zubeen Borthakur ; 18 November 1972) is an Indian singer–songwriter, composer, lyricist, music director, music producer, actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, poet and philanthropist. He primarily works for and sings in the Assamese, Bengali and Hindi-language film and music industries, but has sung in 40 other languages and dialects, including Bishnupriya Manipuri, Boro, English, Goalpariya, Kannada, Karbi, Khasi, Malayalam, Marathi, Mising, Nepali, Odia, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Tiwa. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and plays 12 instruments including anandalahari, dhol, dotara, drums, guitar, harmonica, harmonium, mandolin, keyboard, tabla and various percussion instruments. He is Assam's highest-paid singer.

In 2011, Zubeen Garg was honoured as a guest artist of the year by the Assam Convention, at Oakbrook in Chicago, United States.

Personal life
Garg was born in a Brahmin family at Tura, Meghalaya to Mohini Mohon Borthakur and Late Ily Borthakur. He was named after the music composer Zubin Mehta and used his gotra Garg as his surname. His father Mohini Borthakur was a Magistrate, and is a lyricist and a poet under the name Kapil Thakur and his mother Late Ily Borthakur was a singer.

Garg's younger sister Jongki Borthakur was an actress and singer who died in a car accident in February 2002 in Sonitpur district while they were going to perform stage show along with her co-artists. He had released the album Xixhu in 2002, in the memory of Jonkey Borthakur. His another sister is Dr. Palme Borthakur.

Garg passed his matriculation exam in Tamulpur Higher Secondary School and then pursued a degree in Bachelor of Science in B. Borooah College but dropped out to concentrate in his singing career.

Garg married Garima Saikia, a fashion designer from Golaghat, Assam on 4 February 2002.

Garg considers himself irreligious and says that he does not have any caste or religion.

Controversies
On April 2024, during Bihu concert, he said to the crowd that Krishna, a Hindu deity, was never God but a man, and he was subsequently banned from Majuli District Satra Mahasabha.

Starting of musical life
Garg started to sing from the age of three. His first guru was his mother from where he learnt to sing and then he learnt tabla from Pandit Robin Banerjee for 11 years. Guru Ramani Rai acquainted him with Assamese folk. Garg was composing songs from his school days and used to give to singers to sing.

Beginning of singing career (1992–1995)
Garg got his confidence to become a professional singer when he got gold medal for his western solo performance in youth festival held in 1992. And after this he entered into professional music with his debut Assamese album Anamika, which was released in November 1992. Garg's first recorded songs were "Tumi Junu Pariba Hun" and "Tumi Junaki Hubakh" for the album Ritu but was released in 1993. He released many other albums such as Xapunor Xur (1992), Junaki Mon (1993), Maya (1994), Asha (1995) etc. Before he moved to Mumbai in 1995, he released his first bihu album Ujan Piriti which was a commercial success.

Bollywood singing career (1995–present)
In the mid 1995, Garg moved to Mumbai to work in the Bollywood music industry where he debut his first Indipop solo album Chandni Raat. Later, he recorded few Hindi albums and remix songs like Chanda (1996), Shradhaanjali vol: 1,2,3 (1996-97), Jalwa (1998), Yuhi Kabhi (1998), Jadoo (1999), Sparsh (2000), etc. He got to sing for different films like Gaddaar (1995), Dil Se (1998), Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998), Fiza (2000), Kaante (2002). In 2003, he sung "Sapne Saare" and "khwabon Ki" from the movie Mudda-The Issue, "Mango Agar Dil Se Toh Khuda" from the movie Chupke Se, "Holi Re" from the movie Mumbai se Aiya Mera Dost and "Jo Pyar tumne" from the movie Jaal: The Trap.

He got the biggest break in Bollywood from the movie Gangster where he sang the song "Ya ali". The song brought him the best playback singer Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) in 2006. His next Hindi album Zindagi was released in 2007.

Bengali singing career
Apart from singing in his Bollywood and Assamese industries, he debuted in Bengali music industry in 2003 where he sung two songs in the movie Mon. In the next year he sung three songs in the movie Shudhu Tumi and also was the music director in the film.

In 2005 he sung "O bondhure" and "Lagena Bhalo" in the film Premi. In 2008 he recorded songs like "Mon mane Na" from" the movie Mon Mane Na, "Piya re Piya re" from the movie Chirodini Tumi je Amaar, and "Mon jete chay shudhu" from the movie Love story.

Social work
Garg runs a charity, the Kalaguru Artiste Foundation, which donates money for various causes. He urged people to donate clothes, medicines and contributions when devastating floods hit Assam. He took on the issue over corruption in APSC recruitment in his movie Kanchanjangha.

He is a football fan and has played matches to collect funds for flood affected people.

Garg was one of the main non-political figure of the Anti-CAA protest in Assam. In May 2021, during a surge in COVID-19 cases, Garg offered his two-storeyed house in Guwahati to be converted into a COVID Care Centre. This generous act aimed to address the rising demand for beds for patients in the critical time.

Legacy
As a mark of respect and to celebrate Garg, a 20 foot tall statue has been set up. It was unveiled by the singer himself on 2 December 2022 during the Nazirating Tamuli Tourism Festival in Digboi. Bamboo bridge built across the Na Dihing river by villagers of Tengapani and named after Zubeen Garg is inaugurated by the singer himself at Tengapani-Thepabari on 29 February 2020.

Films
Garg played the lead role in Mon Jaai, which won Best Feature Film in Assamese at 56th National Film Awards.

Awards and honours
Zubeen Garg has received the following recognitions for his work in the industry.