By Grace Cyril,News18

Copyright news18

Renowned Assamese singer Zubeen Garg tragically passed away following a scuba diving accident in Singapore. According to reports, Garg was rescued from the sea by Singapore police and immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where doctors monitored his condition and provided intensive care. Despite these efforts, the singer sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Zubeen Garg passes away
Zubeen Garg had travelled to Singapore to participate in the North East Festival, where he was scheduled to perform on the day of the incident. No official statement has yet been released regarding the circumstances of his accident.
Garg, widely regarded as one of Assam’s most celebrated musicians, leaves behind a legacy of timeless songs and a devoted fanbase across India and beyond. He was best known in Bollywood for lending his voice to the hit song “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster.
Authorities in Singapore are reportedly investigating the incident.
Tributes pour in
Politician Ripun Bora mourned his death on social media saying, “Deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of our cultural icon Zubeen Garg. His voice, music, and indomitable spirit inspired generations across Assam and beyond. My heartfelt condolences to his family, fans, and loved ones. Rest in peace, Legend #ZubeenGarg.”
Take a look:

Deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely demise of our cultural icon Zubeen Garg.
His voice, music, and indomitable spirit inspired generations across Assam and beyond.
My heartfelt condolences to his family, fans, and loved ones.
Rest in peace, Legend ??#ZubeenGarg pic.twitter.com/A11tVpQY43
— Ripun Bora (@ripunbora) September 19, 2025

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, also mourned his loss saying, “Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons. I am in a loss of words to describe what Zubeen meant for Assam. He has gone too early, this was not an age to go. Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls. He has left a void that will never be filled. Our future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam’s culture, and his works will inspire many more talented artists in the days and years to come.”
He added, “Beyond his music, his connection with people and passion for helping them will always be remembered. I will greatly cherish all my interactions with him. That magical voice has forever gone silent. Tragic beyond words! I grieve with my fellow citizens on the passing away of Zubeen. Rest well, Zubeen! You will always be Assam’s favourite rockstar.”
Zubeen Garg’s professional life
Zubeen Garg was a versatile Indian singer and musician. He began singing at the age of three, with his first training coming from his mother. He later studied tabla under Pandit Robin Banerjee for 11 years. Guru Ramani Rai introduced him to Assamese folk music. Garg also started composing songs during his school days, often giving them to other singers to perform.
While Garg primarily worked in Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi films and music, he had performed in over 40 languages and dialects, including Bishnupriya Manipuri, Adi, Boro, English, Goalpariya, Kannada, Karbi, Khasi, Malayalam, Marathi, Mising, Nepali, Odia, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Tiwa.
Zubeen was also a multi-instrumentalist, capable of playing 12 instruments such as the anandalahari, dhol, dotara, drums, guitar, harmonica, harmonium, mandolin, keyboard, tabla, and various percussion instruments. He was Assam’s highest-paid singer and widely regarded as one of the region’s most celebrated musicians.
In 2011, Zubeen Garg was honored as Guest Artist of the Year by the Assam Convention held at Oakbrook, Chicago, USA.
His personal life
Zubeen Garg was born into an Assamese Brahmin family in Tura, Meghalaya, to Mohini Mohon Borthakur and the late Ily Borthakur. He was named after the renowned music composer Zubin Mehta and adopted his gotra, Garg, as his surname. His father, Mohini Borthakur, worked as a magistrate and was also a lyricist and poet under the pen name Kapil Thakur, while his mother, Ily Borthakur, was a singer.
Garg’s younger sister, Jongki Borthakur, was an actress and singer who tragically died in a car accident in February 2002 in Sonitpur district while traveling for a stage performance. In her memory, Zubeen released the album Xixhu later that year. He has another sister, Dr. Palme Borthakur. He completed his matriculation at Tamulpur Higher Secondary School and enrolled in a Bachelor of Science at B. Borooah College but dropped out to focus on his singing career.
Zubeen Garg married Garima Saikia, a fashion designer from Golaghat, Assam, on 4 February 2002. He identified as irreligious, stating that he did not follow any caste or religion.
Controversies
In 2019, Zubeen Garg sparked controversy when he commented, “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.” He later issued an apology for the statement.
In April 2024, during a Bihu concert, Garg stated to the audience that Krishna, a Hindu deity, was never God but a man. This remark led to him being banned from performing at the Majuli District Satra Mahasabha.
May his soul rest in peace!