8 big facts about Zubeen Garg: Film director, National Award-winning actor, biker, social worker, footballer and lot more

Legendary singer Zubeen Garg passed away at the age of 52 on Friday (September 19) in Singapore due to a scuba diving accident. The veteran singer, who specialised in Assamese songs for most parts, also sang in 39 other languages, tallying a total of more than 30000 songs. For a majority of Indian people, Garg is best remembered for the iconic song 'Ya Ali' from the film Gangster which was his Bollywood debut. That song and the album in general made waves across the country but Garg barely sang in Hindi over the years. Not that he needed to, because he was a certified Assamese singer whose stardom went well beyond his singing skills.

Let us look at some of the most unique facts about Garg.

Original name

Zubeen Garg is how the world knows him but that isn't his official name. Initially named Zubeen Borthakur, he was named after a famous Assamese musician Zubeen Mehta. Later on, he took the stage name Zubeen Garg, a decision that was fully supported by his family. 

Seasoned actor and director

Everyone knows about Garg's singing prowess and successes as music director but did you know that he also tried his hand at acting? Yes, you read it right. Garg worked in more than 30 films, primarily in Assamese while also featuring in a few Bengali and Hindi films as well. Garg also tried his hand at film direction in three Assamese films.

National Award-winning actor and music director

Despite his immense prowess and range as a singer, it is for acting and music direction that Garg won National Awards, both for Assamese films.

Footballer and biker

Like most people from the North-East region of India, Garg had great affinity for football and bikes. He was an experienced footballer who played at several forms of competitive sport. He also had a great collection of bikes and luxury cars.

Social worker

Zubeen Garg was a renowned social worker who did many laudable acts. During the COVID19 pandemic, Garg's residential home in Guwahati was used as a care center on his insistence. He also used to organize donations for the victims of the floods in Assam.

Master of musical instruments

Garg was a genius singer and versatile music director but it is his ability to play a wide range of instruments that defined his genius. He could play more than 12 musical instruments.

Charitable trust

Zubeen Garg founded a charitable trust named Kalaguru Artiste Foundation with the intention of supporting struggling artists across the country.

Social activist

Garg was a person with strong political thoughts and he was a key figure in the anti-CAA protests held in Assam. He also raised his voice on a lot more social issues.