RIP Bhupinder Singh

 (An obituary of sorts, on the passing away of Bhupinder Singer, the soulful singer)

 With a rich, sonorous bass, Bhupinder gave voice to grieving and aching hearts in the 1970s and 1980s. Listen to “Karoge yaad toh, har baat yaad aayegi”, or “Ek akela iss shahar mein” - one can actually feel the torment, the helplessness, the anguish, and the “meaninglessness” of life of the dramatis personae, plaintively portrayed through these heart-wrenching numbers.

 But that wasn't his first or only avatar. Starting off as a sidekick to Pancham da, Bhupinder's acumen on guitar got him the iconic tune of one of the greatest rock numbers to hit the Bollywood music scene – “Dum Maro Dum” from the iconoclastic movie “Hare Rama Hare Krishna”. Stepping the gas on, he unleashed several other chart-bursting tunes on guitar – “Chingari koyi bhadke” and “Chura Liya hey tumne jo dil ko”, to name a couple.

 Apart from helping contemplative heroes and wounded souls pour their hearts out in Bollywood movies, Bhupinder ji also flirted, romanced and gallivanted with “Zindagi mere ghar aana”; “Do diwane shahar mein”; “Huzoor iss kadar bhi na itra ke chaliye”, etc., each time, delivering a hit.

 His passing away leaves a void - one that may never be filled. While Arijit S, Sonu N, and their ilk may create their own niche in the sad-poignant-heartache genre, Bhupinder ji's contribution to pathos in Bollywood music will remain inimitable and eternal.