Zubeen Garg: In a spot

Guwahati, Sept 28: Popular singer Zubeen Garg, known for his melodious compositions, has struck a discordant note.

Zubeen, first Assamese singer to feature on MTV, angered the public recently by allegedly making disparaging remarks about two of the state’s most revered culture icons — Jyotiprasad Agarwalla and Parbati Prasad Barua.

After students of Gauhati University burnt his effigy yesterday and demanded an apology from the singer, Zubeen today rushed to apologise to his fans. He said he made “a mistake in framing the sentence”.

The controversy arose after Zubeen announced before a performance at Gauhati University that he “admired Rabha but not Agarwalla and Barua”.

In a statement today, the singer — who has several hit numbers under his belt — said he actually meant to say: “I admire Rabha’s songs more than those of Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla and Parbati Prasad Barua. It is a purely personal view. But perhaps I made a mistake in presenting my view which sounded as if I am trying to demean the culture icons.”

Zubeen made the statement before he started the Bhabendra Nath Saikia memorial cultural nite, organised as part of the university week on September 25. The students set ablaze an effigy of Zubeen condemning his “insulting statement” against the two legends.

In his apology, Zubeen acknowledged that every upcoming Assamese singer and musician like him follows the footsteps of Agarwalla and Barua. “I did not intend to hurt the Assamese sentiment,” he said. He also appealed to the people to forgive him and forget the faux pas.

The 30-year-old singer is working on his second Hindi album at present. The first one — Yuhin Kabhi — was a moderate success, but it helped the singer establish himself in the competitive Mumbai film industry. Zubeen also lent his voice in the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Fiza.

The singer-composer is credited with bringing a whiff of fresh air to the Assamese music scenario with his innovative compositions.