Bhuban Badyakar
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YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
November 2021: international fame
Tamaghna Banerjee, February 14, 2022: The Times of India
From Bollywood personalities to members of the Korean boyband BTS and French dancer Jika, a galaxy of stars is moving to a peppy remix of the song. YouTubers as far as Tanzania and Brazil are uploading their own videos of jiving to it.
This has turned Badyakar’s life downside-up in two dizzying months. Till November 2021, the 49-year-old used to go around on a bicycle in rural West Bengal selling peanuts in exchange for broken everyday items that he would resell.
Today his fame isn’t just a virtual phenomenon. Badyakar is getting mobbed for selfies on the road, politicians are calling him to help with their campaigns, and cops and clubs are felicitating him on stage. He has also recorded a music video with Haryanvi pop star Amit Dhull, and has appeared on TV, including 0n former India captain Saurav Ganguly’s quiz show, Dadagiri.
Bhuban Badyakar's music video with Haryanvi pop star Amit Dhull
“I can’t describe the feeling. Some top celebrities, whom I had never even dreamt of knowing, forget influencing, are now dancing to my tune. It’s like I am living in a dream,” says Badyakar.
A lifetime of struggle, sudden fame
Till November, Badyakar used to earn barely Rs 200-250 a day exchanging peanuts for second-hand goods. Fame has brought him a bit more money, but he still lives in a mud hut in Kuraljuri village 50 km north of Durgapur with his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Despite having to break his back trying to make ends meet all his life, Badyakar never left his first love, music.
“I always wanted to become a singer,” says Badyakar. “I was part of a Baul group and sang at some shows with them. But it wasn’t enough. I had to take care of my family. I started doing odd jobs. But even as I left music, music never left me. I used to hum while working as a mason, as a daily labourer, or a vegetable seller. But no one seemed to care much about the tunes,” he remembers.
Sometime in mid-2021, a scrap dealer in the nearby town Dubrajpur told Badyakar that scraps like broken cellphones, human hair, or old imitation jewellery can be resold at a decent margin. “I thought of buying those from locals in exchange for peanuts. Initially, there weren't many takers. Then I stitched together a song to attract people. I never knew people would love it so much and that I would go what they call viral,” says Badyakar with a grin.
One of his customers on the street loved the song and asked Badyakar to sing again, as he started recording on his phone. That video uploaded on YouTube started the song’s journey. Its popularity soared when another YouTuber remixed it and put out a jazzier version that got people grooving all over India.
Getting a new stage
Badyakar says he was initially a bit wary of the popularity, as he saw some of his local ‘competitors’ singing his song while selling peanuts. He even lodged a complaint of plagiarism at a local police station. But in time, as his popularity crossed the state and national boundaries, he came to be comfortable that the song had a life of its own.
Bhuban Badyakar sang the song for a music video and also appeared in it
December was a season of municipal elections across Bengal and political parties tripped over themselves to get Badyakar to sing at their rallies. BJP put him up on stage first. Then senior Trinamool leader Madan Mitra brought him to Kolkata some 200 km away – Badyakar's second trip to the state capital in his life – and used him as a celebrity campaigner during the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections.
Mitra, who himself has a large social media fan base, says, “I always appreciate raw talent. He is a brilliant artist. We are with him and I will personally ensure he gets the right platform for his music.” Even the police gave him a platform. A felicitation by the district police chief in Birbhum was followed by another at the Bengal police headquarters in Kolkata.
French dancer Jika dancing to the song
By the end of December, Badyakar had bought a motorbike to replace his old cycle. In January, as TikTokers, Instagram Reelers and Facebook Story-makers started posting their dance routines online. That's when the song became a global hit. And more stage shows started coming Badyakar’s way.
To the surprise of many, the song's fame has endured much longer than the lifespan of hit songs or internet fads.
Singing a new tune
With more elections following in January and February, Badyakar hardly gets time to go back to his old business. He is campaigning for one candidate after another across the state.
He might still be in a daze, but his eyes are fixed on the future.
“I have already lost the prime years of my life, but I want to use this new launchpad to the maximum and establish myself as a professional singer. I love the acceptability. I just don’t want to waste this. I need to practise more, compose more catchy songs, and establish myself as a full-time singer – and not just remain the 'Kacha Badam' man,” Badyakar says with a wink.
