In the Shadow of Mayabini: Unraveling the Mystery of Zubeen Garg’s unexpected Death

In the Shadow of Mayabini: Unraveling the Mystery of Zubeen Garg’s Death

By Sourav Dutta, Guwahati (9864075326)

On the evening of 19th September, Assam lost its voice. Zubeen Garg—the icon, the dreamer, the cultural heartbeat of an entire generation—was declared dead. The news fell like a thunderbolt, silencing millions who grew up with his music. Officially, it was an “accident.” But in the quiet corners of drawing rooms, cafés, and social media, another narrative began to take shape—one that mixes grief with suspicion.

At the center of this speculation lies a song that had always been close to Zubeen’s heart: “Mayabini Ratir Bukut”.

The Song That Returned From the Shadows

For decades, fans had wondered why the original Assamese version of Mayabini was never made widely available on digital platforms. On Spotify, it lived quietly under the name “Maya”, as part of the album Hits of Zubeen Garg (2018), controlled by Ishtar Music Pvt. Ltd. Few paid attention.

But something strange happened just three days before Zubeen’s death. On 16th September, a label named DNR Music suddenly uploaded Mayabini Ratir Bukut in its original Assamese form to Spotify, Gaana, and JioSaavn. For years the track had remained absent—why did it reappear at such a crucial moment? And why was it removed again from Spotify on 23rd September, after his death, while continuing to run on other apps as a premium song?

The timing was too eerie to ignore.

Death, Music, and Digital Gold

Music is not just art anymore—it is commerce. Each stream, each download, is money. And when a legend dies, demand skyrockets. Zubeen’s untimely departure triggered millions of plays of Mayabini. Streams ran into the crores, generating royalty revenues that few can accurately trace.

Who benefited from this sudden surge? Was it Ishtar Music Pvt. Ltd., which officially held the rights? Was it DNR Music, the mysterious label that re-uploaded the track? Or was it shared among multiple platforms, some of which continue to profit even today?

The fact that these questions remain unanswered has left fans uneasy.

Zubeen’s Own Words

What deepens the mystery further is Zubeen’s own public remark—he once said that if he were to die, people should sing Mayabini. At the time, it was taken as one of his dramatic, poetic expressions. Now, in hindsight, it feels almost like a prophecy.

Did he sense something? Or was it merely coincidence that the song resurfaced, as if staged, just before his passing?

The Legal Tangles of Music Rights

Behind this cultural storm lies a more technical battlefield—music rights. Who truly owns Zubeen’s songs?

• Ishtar Music Pvt. Ltd. claims rights over many of his hits.
• Zubeen Garg Music LLP, co-owned by Tarsem Mittal, Zubeen himself, and Siddharth Sharma, has its own stakes.
• Independent channels like Assam Tunes continue to upload his work on YouTube.

Each entity may have profited, but how much of it ever reached Zubeen? Did he receive his rightful share of royalties, or was he yet another victim of the opaque world of India’s music business?

Accident or Orchestration?

When fame, money, and intellectual property collide, tragedy often leaves behind shadows. Some argue Zubeen’s death was a simple accident. Others whisper of a “planned mishap,” or worse, a conspiracy tied to the financial windfall of Mayabini’s sudden comeback.

No concrete evidence has surfaced to support these claims. Yet the sequence of events—the uploading of the song, its removal, the unexplained royalties—has kept suspicion alive.

Beyond Suspicion, A Legacy

Whether or not there was foul play, one truth remains: Zubeen Garg’s voice cannot be silenced. Mayabini is now more than just a song—it has become a symbol of unanswered questions, of a star gone too soon, and of the uneasy marriage between art and profit.

For Assam, Zubeen’s death is not just a loss of music. It is a reminder that behind every melody lies a business, behind every platform a profit motive, and sometimes, behind every tragedy, a story yet untold.

And until those questions are answered, Mayabini will echo not just as music, but as a mystery.

Also Read- Zubeen Garg’s Death: The Untold Story!