'Moved by his passion': Anand Mahindra offers support to 80-year-old Kolkata violinist after viral video touches hearts

The story of Bhagwan Mallick, an 80-year-old street musician from Kolkata who has spent decades playing the violin to earn a living, has drawn wide attention online after a video of his life went viral on social media. The video also prompted industrialist Anand Mahindra to offer support.

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Mahindra shared the video on X and wrote, “I’d like to contribute, along with many others, who I know will be moved by his passion. The video didn’t seem to provide details of how and where.” Users then responded to his post by sharing details about Mallick, bringing more attention to his situation.

Mallick’s story was first highlighted in May by content creator Aradhana Chatterjee. In her video, she said Mallick lost his parents as a child and learned to play the violin from his father. After his father’s death, music became not just a passion but also his means of survival, and he has been performing on the streets since childhood so that he could earn enough to eat.

Even at 80, Mallick continues to perform every day despite failing eyesight and a violin that had become badly worn. He earns barely ₹100 a day and lives in a rented house with his wife, who often sits beside him as he plays. Aradhana had said in her post that he could usually be found near New Town Bus Stand, DLF subway and New Town Art Street between 5 pm and 11 pm.

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She had also appealed for opportunities for him to perform, saying, “If any cafe, event, gathering, or space would like to invite him to play, even temporarily, it could truly help him and mean a lot to him.” In an update shared on June 1, Aradhana said she had gifted Mallick a new violin and raised ₹1 lakh for him.

What began with Aradhana Chatterjee sharing Mallick’s story later drew wider support online, with Mahindra also expressing a willingness to contribute as more people took note of the veteran musician’s life and work.