Dubrajpur (Birbhum): Maker of viral tune 'Kacha Badam', which was quick to capture people's hearts and a record label rendition, Bhuban Badyakar roams the balcony of his rented house near Dubrajpur in West Bengal's Birbhum district with a distraught face. The success, which saw Instagram reels from celebrities such as PV Sindhu, Madhuri Dixit, Riteish Deshmukh and Allu Arjun's daughter Allu Arha rake in mount heaps of views, now appears to has turned a troublemaker for Badyakar, as he explains the predicament.
"People assume I've garnered a huge fortune. No matter if it is a broken leg or a football tournament, people kept flocking to my house. How can I give so much money, when I do not have it myself?" he says. "'Dada tomakey taka ditei hobe' (you must give us some money) is what they say. Even when I say I cannot, they insist.
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I try to bring down Rs 5,000 to Rs 1,000, but then they walk away antagonised. That, again, is wrong - it feels like the beginning of enmity" the singer notes. Explaining his current situation, Badyakar says he had to opt for the choice of shifting from his ancestral residence in Kuraljudi, and setting up in the current house in Pakurtala, located on the Dubrajpur town premises.
His woes do not end here, however, as Bhuban says he currently lacks even the funds to pay the Rs 2,700 per month rent here. "My eldest son works as a civic volunteer, and the family runs on whatever he brings home," Bhuban says. When asked, he notes issues related to copyright to be his main concern. "I am currently sitting at home, unemployed. If someone books me for singing it live, they can use copyright laws. Considering this, no organisers are approaching me either," he laments.
A quick search on YouTube, meanwhile, reveals the song doing wonders in terms of engagement. With more than 400 million views and 4.2 million likes, the Kacha Badam remix, uploaded on a music channel, is seen yielding overwhelmingly response as several users in the comment section urged the channel ownership to provide Badyakar with monetary support.
