You could be 20, 50, or even 70. Is age really a bar to chase your dreams? Not for this teacher from Bengal who decided to do just that a decade after his retirement.
Music had always been in Rabindra Nath Biswas’s blood. A life sciences teacher at a school in North 24 Parganas’s Bongaon, he made sure to nurture his love for singing along with his responsibilities. “Along with my studies, I used to secretly practice singing,” Biswas told India Today Digital, adding that he would often sing for friends after college games. Little did he know back then that years later, his rendition of Dhurandhar 2‘s Phir Se would bring him national attention.
Biswas retired at the age of 60 and, with a little more time on hand, he continued performing at small stage shows in his city apart from doing his usual riyaaz at home. During the Covid lockdown, his sons helped him open a Facebook account on which he soon began uploading his singing videos. Little came of it until December 2025 when a change of platforms led to a change of fortunes.
Determined to give their father’s passion another push, his sons created an Instagram account for him: ‘gaan dadu’.
The very first video posted on the account went viral, catapulting the 71-year-old to instant fame. Ever since, there has been no looking back. His rendition of Phir Se recently made national headlines, while his version of Navjot Ahuja’s Khat, shared last month, garnered over 11 million views.
For someone who never formally trained in music, the journey has been anything but conventional.
Biswas said he had only trained for a brief period and learnt mostly by listening, practising on his own, and picking up techniques from fellow singers. “Because of family responsibilities, I had to take up a job,” he said, explaining why music could never become a full-time career earlier. His father’s illness and the need for financial stability meant that teaching took priority.
But, music never really left him. From listening to legends like Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi in his younger years to performing on stage, music has been a part of his life throughout.
There was a brief moment in 2025 when a minor kidney issue made him anxious enough to stop singing for a while. But it was his sons who nudged him back on course. “Baba, we will open an Instagram account for you, and you should try new-generation songs,” they told him. That encouragement marked a turning point.
One cursory glance at Biswas’s account and you will realise that the X factor of his videos is their simplicity. No elaborate setup, no production, just him, his voice, and a blue wall in the background. Something he never imagined would appeal to millions.
“I never imagined that I would receive so much love from so many people. And everything has become possible only by the grace of God,” he said, adding: “I am truly grateful and thankful to every single person who is watching my videos.”
The name ‘gaan dadu’, he shared, was also his sons’ idea – one that now feels almost prophetic.
Today, his former students are among those cheering for him. Biswas said he had always involved them in cultural activities during his teaching years, and seeing him receive so much love now makes them “very happy” and proud.
At 71, this fortuitous recognition means more than just internet fame. It is, in many ways, a second life for a dream that had silently waited for decades. “I am very happy because this was completely unexpected for me,” he said. But more importantly, he hopes his journey sends out a message. “Never let your dreams die. No matter how many obstacles come your way, keep your dreams alive until the very end of your life,” he said.
For Biswas, singing isn’t a new career because it never was. “All my life, music has been my only source of happiness,” he said. “I cannot live without singing, and I want to stay with music until my last day.”
And if Rabindra Nath Biswas’s journey tells you anything, it is this that there is no right time to begin. As he put it simply, there is no fixed age to chase a dream. You can start whenever you choose, as long as you don’t give up on it.
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