"His voice defined a generation."
On September 19, 2025, Zubeen Garg, a prolific singer across several Indian languages, passed away at the age of 52.
The Assamese singer was in Singapore when he was involved in a tragic scuba diving mishap.
He was scheduled to perform on September 20 and September 21 at the North East India Festival.
Zubeen was rescued from the sea, and CPR was performed. However, he sadly died at Singapore General Hospital.
NDTV said: “He was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, but had already lost his life before reaching there.
“Crew members attempted CPR at the scene, but their efforts failed.
“At 5.14 pm Singapore time, doctors at the hospital declared him dead.
“His body will now be sent for an autopsy.”
In 1995, Zubeen Garg moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood playback singing.
Eventually, he sung in films including Dil Se… (1998), Fiza (2000), and Kaante (2002).
He also excelled at singing songs in Bengali.
Within Bollywood, he was most known for ‘Ya Ali‘ – the chartbuster from Gangster: A Love Story (2006).
Zubeen also sung ‘Dil Tu Hi Bataa‘ from Krrish 3 (2013), under the veteran composer, Rajesh Roshan.
The song was a duet with Alisha Chinai.
Since the news of his death emerged, condolences were paid to Zubeen on social media.
The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, wrote:
“Shocked by the sudden demise of popular singer, Zubeen Garg.
“He will be remembered for his rich contribution to music.
“His renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life.
“Condolences to his family and admirers.”
Rahul Gandhi added: “The passing of Zubeen Garg is a terrible tragedy.
“His voice defined a generation and his talent was truly unmatched.
“He overcame personal tragedies to reshape the landscape of Assamese music.
“His perseverance and courage have left an enduring mark.
“He will live on in our hearts and minds forever.”
The passing of Zubeen Garg is a terrible tragedy. His voice defined a generation, and his talent was truly unmatched.
He overcame personal tragedies to reshape the landscape of Assamese music. His perseverance and courage have left an enduring mark.
He will live on in our… pic.twitter.com/aijxHsnosY
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 19, 2025
The music director, Pritam, composed Zubeen’s signature song, ‘Ya Ali’.
In a statement, Pritam said: “Zubeen Garg, losing his life in an accident, is just the most terrible and saddest news.
“Still trying to come to terms with it. My deepest condolences to Garima and his family.”
The singer, Rahul Vaidya, added: “This is such a shock, very unfortunate for all of us in the world of music.
“I am still unable to process it.
“The loss of a precious life, especially in this way, is so sad.
“My prayers are with his family and loved ones.”
Zubeen Garg leaves a lasting legacy through his powerful songs, which will live on in Indian music.
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