Zubeen was not just a singer, he was an emotion. There will never be another like him: Jeet Gannguli

When it comes to Zubeen Garg, I don’t know where to begin or where to end. Thirty years of friendship – of course music is there – but beyond that, I have lost my dearest friend. In any situation, at any time, when it came to friendship, I had very few true friends, whether in the industry or personally. Among those few, one was Zubeen Garg.
If I speak of him as a person, he was such a generous soul, a friend who would genuinely feel someone else’s sorrow as his own. I honestly haven’t come across another person like that. He stood beside so many people and helped them, though he never spoke about it himself. Today, I am compelled to say it.
As an artiste, he was undoubtedly magnificent – a great musician and a great singer. But what truly defined Zubeen were his inner qualities: his willingness to stand by people, to serve others, and to work through his NGO. Whenever my wife Chandrani, who is involved in NGO work, or I reached out to him for anything, he never hesitated to help.
Now, about my professional journey with Zubeen Garg. You may remember my first Bengali film Premi. I told him, ‘Zubeen, it is my first Bengali film, you have to sing.’ He replied, ‘Of course Jeet, why wouldn’t I?’ He was not very fond of Bombay and preferred staying in Assam, surrounded by open spaces and hills. Still, he came and sang my very first song in Premi – O Bondhu Re. People loved it and the song became very popular. After that came one song after another, many of which are now part of Bengali cinema’s history: Piya Re Piya Re from Chirodini Tumi Je Amar, the title track and Subha Mangalam from Mon Mane Na, Aaina Mon Bhanga Aaina from Bolona Tumi Amar, and Chokher Jole Bhashiye Dilam from Poran Jaay Joliya Re. I could go on endlessly. There were so many songs and so many collaborations. He also sang Tomar Amar Prem Ami Aajo Bujhini from Jaaneman for me.
For most of us, Zubeen was not just a singer, he was an emotion. I must say that I have worked with many singers over the years, but I have rarely come across such a generous artiste. Why do I call him generous? Because most people tend to be calculative. They think about which producer, which banner, whose song, and whether it is worth singing before they agree. Zubeen never thought that way. Whoever offered him a song, whatever the film, he always sang wholeheartedly and from within. I believe that the kind of person you are inside is reflected in your voice, and in Zubeen’s case this was absolutely true. He was such a good human being and such an emotional singer. There will never be another like him, there will never be a second Zubeen Garg.
There are countless stories that capture who Zubeen truly was. He often chose the oddest hours to record. I remember once, for the song Aaina Mon Bhanga Aaina, he told me, ‘Jeet, I’ll come at 3.’ I waited in the studio all afternoon, but he never arrived. His phone kept ringing unanswered. Then at 10 at night, he finally called and asked, ‘So where should I come at 3?’ That was when I realised he had meant three in the morning. And sure enough, he showed up at 3am. There are so many whimsical stories as such, he’d sometimes come straight from home, still in the clothes he had been sleeping in, ready to sing. That was Zubeen – unpredictable, carefree, yet always giving his all to music.
And let me say this: people often speak of living like a king, and that is exactly what I learned from him. He was a king in his own right, living life entirely on his own terms. I have rarely seen anyone like him. For as long as he lived, he celebrated every single day. Among us friends, we always said, and will still say – Zubeen was a Raja.
Whatever the case, his last song for Bengali cinema was also sung for me, and will be released soon. We had spoken just four days back, and he asked me, “When will you mix the song?” Sadly, at the very moment of mixing, I received the news of his passing.
I will never forget him. And I will never again find a friend like him. All I want to say is: wherever you are, I know you will remain like a king. Stay well, my brother, my friend.