Veteran playback singer Kumar Sanu has said that the assassination of music mogul Gulshan Kumar marked the end of a golden era in Hindi film music and triggered a slow but irreversible unravelling of the industry's creative ecosystem. Sanu made the remarks during the promotional activities for his new song 'Suniyo Zara', speaking at his residence in Andheri West, Mumbai.

The Golden Era That Was Lost

"Till the time he was here, it was a golden era for Hindi film music," Sanu said. He described Gulshan Kumar not merely as a businessman or music lover, but as a visionary who could predict what music would work and, crucially, knew how to take it to a global audience. "No one had all these techniques better than him. Even today, no one has it," he added.

Sanu was emphatic about Gulshan Kumar's personal influence on his own career, saying, "I am not saying he is my godfather, he is my godfather." The sentiment underscores how central Gulshan Kumar was not just to the industry's commercial machinery but to individual artists' trajectories.

How the Industry Unravelled After the Killing

Sanu pointed to a chain of consequences that followed Gulshan Kumar's death. "After Gulshan ji's death, the industry changed completely," he said, noting that many film music rights that the mogul regularly acquired stopped finding a similarly passionate buyer. The ripple effects, he argued, were felt across collaborations and partnerships. Nadeem–Shravan, one of the most celebrated composing duos of the 1990s, split apart — a development Sanu linked directly to the vacuum left behind. "Nadeem went away," he recalled. "Then all the music directors who used to make good quality songs, everyone was affected."

The Lessons Gulshan Kumar Taught Artists

Beyond the commercial dimension, Sanu highlighted what he described as Gulshan Kumar's role as a mentor who advocated for artists' financial rights. "Gulshan ji was the man. He taught us that a singer should take money. He taught us, 'You should take your money. Why do you sing so hard?'," Sanu recalled. This, he said, was a philosophy that shaped an entire generation of playback artists who had previously been undervalued.

The Lasting Impact on Hindi Film Music

Gulshan Kumar, founder of T-Series, was shot dead outside a temple in Mumbai on 12 August 1997 — a crime that sent shockwaves through Bollywood and the music business. His death remains one of the most consequential moments in the history of the Indian music industry. Sanu's remarks, made nearly three decades later, reflect a continuing sense of loss. "Definitely it's a big loss for our industry," he said. The interview comes amid renewed public interest in the era's musical legacy, with Sanu's return to the spotlight through 'Suniyo Zara' prompting reflection on a chapter of Hindi music that many argue has never been replicated.