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Zubeen Garg
Garg live in a concert in 2023
Pronunciation	[zubinɡaɹg]
Born	Zubeen Borthakur (1972-11-18)18 November 1972 (age 52)[1] Tura, Meghalaya, India[2]
Alma mater	Jagannath Barooah CollegeKarimganj College[3] B.Borooah College[4]
Occupations	Singer songwriter composer music director music producer lyricist multi-instrumentalist actor film director film producer screenwriter poet
Years active	1992–present
Works	Discography filmography bibliography
Spouse	Garima Saikia Garg ​ (m. 2002)​
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Also known as	Goldie[5] Luitkontho[6] Heartthrob of Assam[7]
Origin	Jorhat,Assam, India
Genres	Indian folk Indian pop Hindustani classical sufi filmi rock blues
Instruments	Tabla keyboard harmonium drum dhol guitar mandolin dotara harmonica anandalahari
Discography	Full list
Labels	Apon Records NK Production AC Multimedia Sony Music Universal Music Group Times Music T-Series Zee Music Company Eros Now Saregama Dhwani Records Zubeen Garg Music Jollywood Now Music
Musical artist

Zubeen Garg (bornZubeen BorthakurAssamese pronunciation:[zubinbɔɹtʰakuɹ]; 18 November 1972) is an Indian singer–songwriter, composer, lyricist, music director, music producer, actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, poet and philanthropist.^[8] He primarily works for and sings in theAssamese,Bengali andHindi-language film and music industries,^[9] but has sung in 40 other languages anddialects, includingBishnupriya Manipuri,Boro,English,Goalpariya,Kannada,Karbi,Khasi,Malayalam,Marathi,Mising,Nepali,Odia,Sanskrit,Sindhi,Tamil,Telugu,Tiwa.^[10][11][12] He is also amulti-instrumentalist and plays 12 instruments includinganandalahari,dhol,dotara,drums,guitar,harmonica,harmonium,mandolin,keyboard,tabla and variouspercussion instruments.^[13] He is Assam's highest-paid singer.^[14]

In 2011, Zubeen Garg was honoured as a guest artist of the year by the Assam Convention, atOakbrook inChicago,United States.^[15]

Garg was born to anAssamese Brahmin family atTura, Meghalaya to Mohini Mohon Borthakur and Late Ily Borthakur. He was named after the music composerZubin Mehta^[16][17] and used hisgotraGarg as his surname.^[18] His father Mohini Borthakur was a Magistrate,^[19] and is a lyricist and a poet under the nameKapil Thakur^[20] and his mother Late Ily Borthakur was a singer.^[19][21]

Garg's younger sister Jongki Borthakur was an actress and singer who died in a car accident in February 2002 inSonitpur district while they were going to perform stage show along with her co-artists.^[20] He had released the albumXixhu in 2002, in the memory of Jonkey Borthakur.^[21][20] His another sister is Dr. Palme Borthakur.^[22]

Garg passed his matriculation exam in Tamulpur Higher Secondary School and then pursued a degree inBachelor of Science inB. Borooah College^[19] butdropped out to concentrate in his singing career.^[23]

Garg married Garima Saikia, afashion designer fromGolaghat, Assam on 4 February 2002.^[24]

Garg considers himselfirreligious and says that he does not have anycaste orreligion.^[25]

On 27 May 2024, Zubeen Garg was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) degree by theUniversity of Science and Technology, Meghalaya.^[26][27]

In 2019, the artist faced a controversy when he said,“I am Brahmin, but I have snapped my ‘lagun’ (a sacred thread worn by Brahmins) in the movie. I had removed the thread earlier, and still don't wear it. These Brahmins should be killed”. Later he apologized for this statement.^[16]

In April 2024, during Bihu concert, he said to the crowd thatKrishna, aHindu deity, was neverGod but a man, and he was subsequently banned fromMajuli District Satra Mahasabha.^[28]

Garg started to sing from the age of three.^[29] His first guru was his mother from where he learnt to sing and then he learnt tabla from Pandit Robin Banerjee for 11 years.^[19] Guru Ramani Rai acquainted him with Assamese folk.^[30][31] Garg was composing songs from his school days and used to give to singers to sing.

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.^[32] And after this he entered into professional music with his debut Assamese albumAnamika, which was released in November 1992.^[33][34][21] Garg's first recorded songs were"Tumi Junu Pariba Hun"^[35] and"Tumi Junaki Hubakh"^[36] for the albumRitu but was released in 1993. He released many other albums such asXapunor Xur (1992),Junaki Mon (1993),Maya (1994),Asha (1995) etc. Before he moved to Mumbai in 1995, he released his first bihu albumUjan Piriti which was a commercial success.

In the mid-1995, Garg moved toMumbai to work in theBollywood music industry where he debuted his first Indipop solo albumChandni Raat.^[37] Later, he recorded few Hindi albums and remix songs likeChanda (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 likeGaddaar (1995),Dil Se (1998),Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998),Fiza (2000),Kaante (2002).^[38] In 2003, he sung "Sapne Saare" and "khwabon Ki" from the movieMudda-The Issue, "Mango Agar Dil Se Toh Khuda" from the movieChupke Se, "Holi Re" from the movieMumbai se Aiya Mera Dost and "Jo Pyar tumne" from the movieJaal: The Trap.^[39]

Apart from singing in his Bollywood and Assamese industries, he debuted in the Bengali music industry in 2003 where he sang two songs in the movieMon. In the next year, he sang three songs in the movieShudhu Tumi and was the film's music director.^[40]In 2005 he sang"O Bondhure" and "Lagena Bhalo" in the filmPremi.

He got the biggest break in Bollywood from the movieGangster where he sang the song"Ya Ali".^[41] The song brought him the best playback singer Global Indian Film Awards (GIFA) in 2006. His next Hindi albumZindagi was released in 2007.^[42] In 2008 he recorded several Bengali songs like "Mon mane Na" from" the movieMon Mane Na, "Piya re Piya re" from the movieChirodini Tumi je Amaar, and "Mon jete chay shudhu" from the movieLove story

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.^[43] He took on the issue over corruption inAPSC recruitment in his movieKanchanjangha.^[8][44][45]

He is afootball fan and has played matches to collect funds for flood-affected people.^[46]

Garg was one of the main non-political figure of the Anti-CAA protest in Assam.^[47][48][49] 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.^[50]

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.^[51] 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.^[52][53]

Garg played the lead role inMon Jaai, which wonBest Feature Film in Assamese at56th National Film Awards.

He got Seuji-Seuji award for his poetry book in 2017.^[57]

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

This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately. Find sources: "Zubeen Garg" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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