Why Kumar Sanu still rules India’s barbershops, buses and construction sites

In a corporate environment, three men are engrossed in work, oblivious to the world outside. Suddenly, a shift occurs as the background score changes, signalling a transformation from a formal setting to a local barbershop. One man starts to mimic a barber, while another pretends to wait in line. This change, driven by a piece of music, mirrors a broader social phenomenon.

The song, "Mujhse mohabbat ka izhaar karati/Kaash koi ladki mujhe pyar karati," is popular not just in personal spaces but also in places like construction sites, buses, and trucks - areas where marginalized individuals seek respite from their tough working conditions. Composed by Kumar Sanu in the 1990s, this song, along with others from that era, has become a part of the sonic landscape in these spaces.

Despite this, the connection between the music, its listeners, and the socio-political context from which it emerged remains under-researched. Yogesh Maitreya, a leading Dalit scholar and founder of Panther’s Paw Publications, delves into this in his latest book, Kumar Sanu: Caste, Catharsis and Enigma of Melody. Maitreya's work can be seen as a departure from the conventional approach of categorising popular culture as either "theoretical brahmins" or "empirical Shudras."

Instead, he focuses on the listener's experience, reimagining solidarity through shared sonic spaces. These songs, from a time when India witnessed significant violence and unrest, provided a sense of nostalgia and catharsis to those who consumed them. Maitreya argues that Kumar Sanu's songs fill the void left by the film industry's refusal to address the realities of violence and uncertainty during that period.

The music, he suggests, offers a form of "catharsis in negative," where the listeners replace their real-life experiences of fear and anxiety with a soothing, yet nonsensical, musical escape. Furthermore, Maitreya explores the role of Kumar Sanu's songs in a caste(ist) society where endogamy dictates the rules of love and romance.

The songs, he posits, provide a subconscious outlet for individuals trapped in this oppressive societal structure. In essence, Kumar Sanu's voice provides a semblance of normalcy and harmony for millions of laborers working under harsh conditions, far from home. While Maitreya's analysis broadens our understanding of the cultural significance of Kumar Sanu's music, it also raises questions about why nostalgia for past cultural productions continues to be a universal phenomenon.