Thread by @LaffajPanditIND

#KnowYourHistory

#AsalNayak - 001

Gulshan Kumar Dua - A visionary, A dharmik entrepreneur whose life was brutally cut short -

‘शिवशंकर को जिसने पूजा, उसका ही उद्धार हुआ,
अंत काल को भवसागर में, उसका बेड़ा पार हुआ,
भोले शंकर की पूजा करो, ध्यान चरणों में उसके धरो!’

With these words in mind, Gulshan Kumar walked to Jeeteshwar Mahadev Mandir, as was his routine.

A devout devotee of Bhagwan Shiva, Gulshan Kumar paid respects to his beloved deity and came out. However, nobody knew that his routine visit would be his last visit as well. That was the unfortunate morning of 12 August 1997, the day Gulshan Kumar left us forever -

On the holy day of Saturday, 5 August 1956, Chandrabhan Kumar Dua was blessed with a baby boy in New Delhi.

The juice vendor sold his fare in Dariyaganj for a living, and he named his son Gulshan.

Gulshan was extremely devoted to Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Durga, which reflected in his work as well. Some can even say that it was his works through T Series which popularized the holy pilgrimage of Vaishno Devi to a significant extent -

But how did a family, who sold fruit juice for a living, become heir to a billion dollar empire?

It was a stroke of luck and the vision of Gulshan Kumar which led to the birth of the goldmine that is T Series -

Gulshan Kumar's family had acquired a shop that sold inexpensive records and audio cassettes. In those days, records and cassettes came at a premium. Gulshan wanted to make them affordable. The idea gave birth to 'Super Cassettes Industries Limited', now famous as 'T Series'.

However, he didn't stop at that. He also aimed at maintaining quality with quantity. In those days, music, along with Bollywood films, was at the nadir. Forget original songs, Bollywood musicians were ready to ape even Afghanistani songs, just to make a quick buck.

But then came 'Aashiqui'. Though directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the film became famous because of its music and its actors, on whom Gulshan had utmost trust.

This was the beginning of his peak, or unintentionally, his downfall as well -
tfipost.in/2021/07/there-…

So what happened, that such a visionary man was brutally murdered? The reason was simple - Gulshan's undying faith in Sanatana Dharma. Nobody is unaware of Bollywood's inherent hatred for Hinduism. However, with Gulshan Kumar, for the first time, Bollywood were left perplexed.

What started with 'Shiv Mahima' in 1992, continued unabated till his death in 1997. Be it 'Jai Maa Vaishno Devi', 'Satyanarayan ki Vrat Katha', 'Char Dham', it was clear - as long as Gulshan was alive, nobody could dare to malign Sanatan Dharma in Bollywood -

However, this was not the only thing that Gulshan Kumar was popular for. He popularized, soulfil, stirring bhajans. ‘शिव शंकर को जिसने पूजा’, ‘मन लेके आया माता रानी के भवन में’, ‘श्री राम जानकी बैठे हैं मेरे सीने में’ are some bhajans that devotees sing even today

Probably that is why Gulshan Kumar came on the radar of the underworld. He was called various times for extortion by the Dawood Ebrahim gang. However, Gulshan refused to pay even once -

indiatoday.in/movies/celebri…

Some even say that the murder of Gulshan was avoidable. Even Rakesh Maria wrote in his autobiography that he had warned Mahesh Bhatt about it. Why Mahesh never alerted Gulshan about the assassination attempt is something only he knows better -
timesnownews.com/india/article/…

Today, it has been 24 years since Gulshan Kumar Dua has left for his heavenly abode, but even today, his dreams are unfulfilled. It is an irony that a man as slimy as Aamir Khan is being sought to bring his character on screen. Are we so inept? -