Playback singer Shilpa Rao, who recently won the National Award, paid an emotional tribute to the late Zubeen Garg during her performance at the Ziro Festival in Arunachal Pradesh. The singer won over the audience with a soulful rendition of Ya Ali from the film Gangster.
She performed the song in a downtempo style that highlighted its original quality. The heartfelt performance was a fitting homage to Zubeen Garg, a celebrated singer renowned not only for his music but also for his humanitarian contributions across Assam and the broader northeast region.
How Did Zubeen Garg Die?
Zubeen Garg died on September 19, 2025, at the age of 52. Initial reports indicated that he died while scuba diving. A representative of the North East India Festival in Singapore told NDTV, "It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Zubeen Garg's passing."
The representative added, "While scuba diving, he experienced breathing difficulties and was immediately given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared deceased in the ICU around 2.30 pm IST," Anuj Kumar Boruah said.
However, new details emerged suggesting a different account of the singer's final moments. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Zubeen Garg died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket. According to the Chief Minister, "Zubeen died while swimming without a life jacket," and authorities in Singapore will question the people who accompanied him during the swim.
Zubeen Garg's manager, Siddharth Sharma, also mentioned that there is a video showing Zubeen jumping into the sea from a yacht wearing a life jacket. The Chief Minister added, "After the 1 minute 26 second mark in the video, Zubeen Garg can be seen returning to the yacht. According to reports, he jumped into the sea for the second time, but after taking off the life jacket, saying it was uncomfortable swimming with it on."
Moments later, the singer was found floating unresponsive in the sea and was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where he was declared dead.
The organisers of the North East India Festival clarified that they were unaware of the yacht visit.
Zubeen Garg's Manager Faces Allegations
Amid the ongoing investigation into Zubeen Garg's death, his manager Siddharth Sharma has faced allegations related to the singer's wealth and ownership of songs. His residence was recently raided by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and he has been on the run, issuing an official statement addressing the allegations in an open letter.
Coming back to Shilpa Rao, she received the National Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her performance in Chaleya from Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan.