Ustad Zakir Hussain remembered forTaj Mahal Tea ad “Wah Ustad nahi, wah Taj boliye”.

Ustad Zakir Hussain remembered forTaj Mahal Tea ad “Wah Ustad nahi, wah Taj boliye”.

For the countless, the first memory of the tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain, is not a concert but the 1990s television advertisement for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal tea. The ad was not just marketing gold but a part of the shared memory of an entire generation. People still remember the maestro with Taj Mahal as his backdrop and the magical words, “Wah Ustad nahi, wah Taj boliye”.

Over his long professional career, Ustad Zakir Hussain transcended every barrier, from class to country to language to religion. His tabla recreated the sound of rain and re-imagined the beats of Lord Shiva’s Damru.
And every time his long, curly hair swayed to the beats, his words were ignored “Wah Ustad.”

The Creation of a timeless Ad In 1996
Brooke Bond Taj Mahal tea was launched in Kolkata.

News Edit KV Raman