A group of young fans climb a small hillock nearby and their voices ring in the dark sky—“Joi Zubeenda”, “Justice for Zubeen”. Night buses from Guwahati pause for a few minutes for passengers to step out—with bowed heads, they leave flowers, prayers and tears for the legend whose voice had once united them all.
It has been over a month since Garg’s untimely death on September 21 in Singapore, where he reportedly drowned while swimming without a life jacket. Authorities in Singapore and Assam continue their investigations to determine whether there was foul play.
The site in Sonapur is now called Zubeen Kshetra after his wife, costume designer Garima Saikia Garg urged his fans not to use the word samadhi (memorial). She said the effort would be to keep Zubeen alive forever. She has kept the sindoor on her forehead—a symbol of their bond that began in 2002 when she married the celebrated singer of Maya and Mayabini fame. In their modest apartment in Kahilipara, Guwahati, a new piece of digital art adorns the wall: there’s Zubeen with his guitar and Garima in her red bindi.
In an interview with Shantanu Nandan Sharma, she talks about the lingering questions she has about the day he died—“How could everyone neglect an artist like Zubeen Garg in such a manner?”—and her attempts to protect and preserve his legacy.
Edited excerpts: Tell me about this image of you and Zubeen Garg on the wall.
It is a digital artwork prepared by Ashwini Barkataki, an artist from Jorhat. It reflects my decision to retain the sindoor and the bindi after Zubeen’s death. The guitar represents Zubeen’s music and his strong presence. I love this photo as it captures the emotions I’m going through now. That I need to be strong is also very much visible on my face here.
Do you suspect any foul play in Zubeen’s death?
I want to know what exactly happened on that day. Zubeen was taken out for a yacht party on September 19, but I—and our entire family—want to know every minute detail from the previous night. A video circulating on social media shows how he was enjoying the previous night, singing “Tears in Heaven” (by Eric Clapton) with a local artist. But if you see his videos the next day (on the yacht), he is wearing the same dress. I want to know whether he got a chance to sleep that night at all. Zubeen was not a person who woke up early in the morning. He was not a day person. He always slept during the day and got up at 3 or 4 in the evening. Nothing in the world excited him during the day. He used to go to bed in the morning, and we ensured he never got disturbed during the day. But that day (September 19), he was taken to the yacht so early.
The previous night, he replied to a WhatsApp message from one of our team members in Guwahati at 11:25 pm. That means he was awake at 2 at night Singapore time. I want to know whether he slept that night. Were there people sitting around him the whole night? Was he taken out for the party very early in the morning? We have learnt that he did not get a chance to have breakfast. Also, from his face, as seen in the video, you can make out that he did not sleep the previous night. He was looking very tired. He seemed so exhausted.
How did you come to know about the tragedy?
There were two missed calls from his manager Siddharth (Sharma, now in judicial custody). I called him back. It was about 1:15 pm (India time). He picked up the phone, and I heard him crying, ‘Dada, dada.’ I asked what happened to dada (Zubeen). I immediately suspected there could have been a seizure attack, so I first asked him: ‘Did he take the medicine in the morning?’ He did not reply. I asked him: ‘Are you taking him to the hospital, or have you called a doctor to the hotel?’ I had no idea that Zubeen was not in the hotel but inside a yacht.
What happened then?
I heard him say CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation, an emergency procedure that is given when heart stops). I could not believe it. Zubeen had no cardiac issues. I said, ‘Tell me what happened to Zubeen?’ Siddharth passed the phone to someone who identified himself as Abhimanyu Talukdar (president of the Assam Association of Singapore) who said Zubeen was in the water and possibly had a seizure attack. I got scared. I asked: ‘Why then is CPR being given?’ He was fumbling. I asked: ‘Is Zubeen breathing properly? When did the convulsion stop?’ After all, such convulsions last 15–20 seconds, sometimes less.
I also asked him if there was a doctor there or not; who was giving him the CPR? I was told some coastguards were giving him CPR. I was shocked. Why coastguards? I was screaming. He assured me that they were all trained. Only then did I come to know that Zubeen was in a yacht and there was no doctor nearby. I was told it would take some 10 minutes or so to reach the coast where there was an ambulance.
What did you do next?
I immediately informed Bhanti (Zubeen’s younger sister and academic Palme Borthakur) and my brother. I started praying. I also kept calling, asking how long it would take them to reach the hospital. Every time the answer was: 5–10 minutes. It was at that moment that I decided I would fly to Singapore as soon as possible. I had to be with him at the hospital during the treatment.
And then?
I realised I needed a visa to go to Singapore. So, I called up Pabitra Margherita (minister of state for external affairs, who was once Zubeen’s roommate and anchored his music shows in the 1990s). He told me to send a photo of my passport, and assured me that there wouldn’t be a problem getting a visa. I was readying to go. By then, I kept calling to ask whether Zubeen was being treated by doctors or not. After some 45 minutes, I came to know they had reached the hospital. Siddharth called me to get the prescription of medicines Zubeen was taking as the doctor was asking for it.
Which medicines did Zubeen take regularly?
Zubeen took two medicines regularly—Starpress tablets for blood pressure and Levipil for seizures. These two were a must. He also took Vitamin E tablets. Much later (after his mortal remains reached Guwahati), when I was asked to identify his bags, I spotted these three medicines in the bag he was carrying (to the yacht). As he was not having breakfast, maybe he thought he would have some food during the day and then take the medicines.
Did you make any video call to see Zubeen’s condition?
I made video calls, but I did not see his face. Once in the hospital, Sanjive Narain (a media owner who was in Singapore to participate in the Northeast India festival) spoke with me. I requested him, please show me Zubeen. I also told him, if he’s in the ICU, never take the ventilator off. Zubeen will fight back. Singapore has some of the best doctors. Let them try their best. As I was speaking with him over the phone and praying to god for Zubeen’s recovery, there was already a large gathering outside our home. That meant the news (of his death) was already out. No one told me directly that Zubeen was no more. I understand that.
Do you feel there is too much politics around him now, against the backdrop of his immense popularity?
I won’t talk politics, but everything (leading to his death) was not as easy and straight as I initially thought. If you see what happened from the previous night, it was pure negligence. When Bhanti (sister-in-law) and I watched the videos after two-three days, we were wondering how everyone could neglect an artist like Zubeen Garg in such a manner. How could such an incident happen when there were some 14–15 people around him? How was he allowed to swim without a life jacket?
When the shooting (of his upcoming film) Roi Roi Binale was going on in Sri Lanka, he was swimming in the sea, but we persuaded him to return. This time too, Siddharth and Shekhar (Jyoti Goswami, a drummer and bandmate of Zubeen) were there. They were like our family members. Even Amrit Prabha (an Assamese singer, in jail now) was there. Siddharth and Shekhar, in particular, accompanied Zubeen all the time. They know everything. The video shows how exhausted he was after returning to the yacht. He should have been stopped from playing in the water again. At least they could have done that. He should have been taken away right then. It was such negligence.
Do you suspect any conspiracy behind it?
I can’t say if there was any conspiracy — the investigations are on. While there are many videos, the last part is somehow missing.
Have you seen the last video (of unconscious Zubeen being carried to the yacht)?
I have not seen that video either. We want to know the exact sequence till the last moment. Until I know every minute detail, I won’t be able to live peacefully. It’s such deep pain… I can’t even explain it.
What are your next steps in carrying forward Zubeen’s legacy?
We must carry forward his ideology and legacy. First, we have to protect the intellectual property rights of his creations. He sang around 40,000 songs, many of which he composed. We need to protect and archive them. We want Zubeen’s memorial to be known as Zubeen’s Kshetra to keep him alive in our hearts. We must never feel that he’s no more. He must always live with us.
Is there any indication how soon the structure will be built?
It will take time. We don’t want to hurry this. We have some ideas which we have put up in the first meeting of the committee [the Assam government formed an 11-member committee to oversee the planning and building of a memorial at Sonapur].
You just mentioned protecting the intellectual property rights to Zubeen’s creations. Aren’t these with Zubeen?
Not all copyrights are with us. Things have yet to be streamlined. Also, much of the work Zubeen did needs to be documented and preserved for future generations. It will be a gradual process. I won’t be able to work at Zubeen’s pace, but I’m sure his admirers across the state will help me in this endeavour.
Will Zubeen’s last film, Roi Roi Binalewhere he reportedly plays the role of a blind person, be out on October 31 as scheduled?
It was his dream film, and it will be released as scheduled. On September 21, he was to return from Singapore and finalise some post-production work. That did not happen. We completed some patchworks recently. He told us he was not very happy with two-three scenes.
There have been a lot of news reports claiming that you don’t know much about Zubeen’s finances. Is that right?
I have never been involved in money matters. Zubeen himself believed that husband and wife must not be involved together in financial matters. Even in my own work (as costume designer and film producer), he gave me complete freedom. He did help me but never interfered in my professional work. He was okay even if I was away for a month for work. I mostly accompanied him to his shows, but I never got involved in his fees or monetary deals. In fact, he himself did not show much interest in such matters.
Several reports suggest he was careless in monetary matters, that he did not even know how much money he earned or spent.
I won’t say he was careless, but he did not want to get involved in such matters. He believed that spending time on balance sheets would hamper his creativity. Zubeen lived in a different world. New ideas used to hit his brain all the time. There were times when he would suddenly rise from sleep and start composing a song or create new music. If he had one or two sentences of a new song or new music, we sometimes recorded those instantly. There was no point telling such a creative man that he should handle his finances better.