Zubeen Garg died on September 19 at 52. Days after his death, the celebrated singer's last podcast with novelist-author Rita Chowdhury went viral. During the conversation, Zubeen, who drowned while swimming in Singapore, spoke about his love for the sea.
He said, "I love to swim. I never check how deep it is; I just jump. There is such a shot in the film. I have done it before. Five people saved me, and I have recreated that scene in the film in Sri Lanka."
When Zubeen Predicted How Assam Would Mourn His Death
Recounting his years in Mumbai, Zubeen said, "I stayed in Mumbai for 12 years, I got bored of the city life. People ask me why I don't live in Mumbai? I said, 'A king should never leave his kingdom. There is no king there. When Lata Mangeshkar died, did they do anything? No. When Rajesh Khanna died, there was just news - Rajesh Khanna died. There is no king. But if I die here in Assam, Assam will remain closed for 7 days.'"
He ended with a note on how people perceived him, "I live like that, so they are scared. They don't call me because they are afraid I will scold them. Rohit Shetty called me to sing a song for his film, but I said, 'No, I didn't like it. I won't come.' Rohit was like, 'What kind of man is he?' Pritam said, 'He is like this. He is a king. He lives like that.' If you have work, come here to Assam. I will not go."
"My Mumbai House Is Free For Artists From Northeast"
In the same conversation, the singer recalled his early dreams of pursuing higher studies in music abroad. "I wanted to graduate from Trinity College of Music. It was too costly for me," Zubeen Garg admitted.
Yet, financial challenges did not stop him. "I made my first album with my mother's fixed deposit," he said.
For Garg, music was not a carefully chosen path, but one pushed forward by those around him. "I was a musician, friends pushed me to singing," he said. His work ethic was unmatched. "I have recorded 36 songs in one day," he revealed.
The podcast also brought out stories of support and camaraderie. "Kavita Krishnamurthy has helped me in Mumbai," he said, adding that he always opened his doors to fellow artists from the Northeast. He shared, "My Mumbai house is free for artists from Assam, Northeast."
Garg credited himself with reviving Assamese cinema by choosing to return home. "If I wouldn't have come back from Mumbai, Assamese film industry wouldn't have revived," he said.
He spoke openly about his beliefs: "I am an agnostic. I am a socialist-communist. I am Buddhist." About his outlook on life, he said, "I never had a map on life. I am a self-made guy."
Despite fame and wealth, he admitted to feeling rootless. "I have five houses, but no home. I used to sleep in my studio. I am alone, but strong."
Garg often used metaphors from nature. "I like to swim. I jump, I don't see the depth," he said. "People have turned me into a machine. I was not like that. I like to play with the sea. I like to move with the waves."
Who Was Zubeen Garg?
Zubeen Garg was one of Assam's most popular cultural icons, known for his songs in Assamese, Bengali and Hindi. He rose to nationwide fame with the hit track Ya Ali from the film Gangster and went on to deliver several other popular numbers, including Dil Tu Hi Bataa from Krrish 3.
Garg had also worked extensively in Assamese films as a singer, actor and director. Some of his hits included Kanchanjunga, Mission China, Dinabandhu and Mon Jai.
In 2022, he sustained a minor head injury after falling unconscious at a resort in Dibrugarh. He was later flown to Guwahati in an air ambulance and treated at a private super-speciality hospital.
How Did Zubeen Garg Die?
Initial reports suggested that Zubeen Garg 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."
"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, fresh details have since emerged suggesting otherwise.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the singer died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket. According to PTI, Sarma said, "Zubeen died while swimming without a life jacket," adding that Singapore authorities will question the people who had accompanied the singer for swimming.
Sarma also said there is a video in which Zubeen Garg is seen jumping into the sea from a yacht wearing a life jacket. "After the 1.26 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 the life jacket on," the Chief Minister added.
Moments later, Garg was found floating in the sea, unresponsive. He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead around 2:30 pm Indian time. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.
The organisers of the North East India Festival also issued a statement underlining that they were unaware of the yacht visit before the accident.
The statement read, "Earlier today, our entire team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at the Shangri-La Hotel to facilitate investments in Northeast India. During the meeting, we received a call from Zubeen's manager informing us that he had met with an accident and had been rushed to Singapore General Hospital. We later learned that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge," the statement further read.
Background
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe Zubeen Garg's untimely death. Taking to X, he wrote, "In regard to the untimely death of our beloved Zubeen Garg, we will not spare anyone. Today, I had a meeting with the @DGPAssamPolice and the ADGP, CID, along with senior officers including the Chief Secretary of Assam. I have instructed the DGP to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) with the best officers of Assam Police."
He added that viscera samples will be sent to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFL), Delhi, for detailed examination. "The SIT will have full freedom to investigate the case with complete professional integrity," the CM stated.
Earlier, the state government prohibited Syamkanu Mahanta, the main organiser of the Northeast India Festival in Singapore, where Garg was scheduled to perform, from holding any functions or festivals in Assam.
Garg's body was flown from Singapore to Delhi and later transported to Assam on a commercial flight that landed in Guwahati on Sunday morning.