At least five singers recorded the 2006 chartbuster Ya Ali from Gangster: A Love Story before the composers zeroed in on Zubeen Garg for the number that gave him his big Bollywood break, catapulting him to success in the Indian music industry.
Singer Bonnie Chakraborty, one of the several singers who recorded the hit track before it was given to Zubeen, recalled the story of Zubeen landing the song in a chat with The Telegraph Online on Friday, hours after the 52-year-old singer passed away following a scuba diving accident in Singapore.
Chakraborty explained that in Bollywood it is common for several singers to record the same track, with the final choice depending on whose voice best matches that of the lead actor. In case of Ya Ali, Garg was selected because his voice most closely resembled Emran Hashmi’s.
What happened next is history. Garg shot to fame, becoming a household name across the country.
“Zubeen was doing some BGM vocals for Gangster at that time. His voice was so powerful and I was extremely pleased as Zubeen was a very well deserving singer. His voice had the X factor needed for this song,” said Chakraborty.
Chakraborty added that Garg was not only a dynamic singer but also an incredible composer.
“His command over all formats of music in terms of folk, pop, film music was so strong. His passing is really unfortunate. It’s a huge loss for the industry,” said Chakraborty, paying a tribute to the late musician.
The Dakatiya Banshi singer shared that his interaction with Garg was limited. Before Gangster, they had worked together on an album for Chakraborty’s band Kashti, which was promoted by Zee Music.
Though Chakraborty did not meet Garg after Gangster, he often listened to his songs and compositions. Some of Chakraborty’s favourites include the Bengali song Mon Mane Na and the Assamese song Dusokure.
Regarded as Assam’s highest-paid singer, Garg debuted with the Assamese album Anamika in 1992 before moving to Mumbai. Over his career, he recorded songs for films such as Dil Se, Fiza, Kaante and Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, while remaining a towering figure in Assamese music.
According to reports, Zubeen was rescued by Singapore police from the sea and rushed to a nearby hospital. However, he could not be saved despite being placed under intensive medical care.