Oh Ustaad! How Zakir Hussain's Tea Ad Brought Him Closer to The Masses

Growing up in the 80s and 90s in India, India was a tapestry of black-and-white Doordarshan screens, cricket matches and simple joys like chai with family. Amidst this era, where advertisements were as eagerly anticipated as the shows they interrupted, one stood out - Wah Taj! featuring the tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.

For those who are in their 40s now, Zakir Hussain wasn't just a celebrated musician; he became the man with the charming smile, long curly locks and nimble fingers that played the tabla in perfect sync with our hearts. Before this iconic ad for Taj Mahal Tea, classical music was something our parents listened to during Sunday mornings, often met with our groans of "change the tape." But Zakir changed that for many of us.

The ad was simple yet mesmerizing. Zakir, seated with his beloved tabla, played a soulful piece that had our attention right from the first beat. The camera then zoomed in on his face as he looked up, took a sip of tea, and declared with a satisfied smile, "Wah Taj!" That two-word exclamation did more than sell tea; it became part of our everyday lexicon.

What made the ad iconic was its ability to connect an ancient art form to a contemporary product. Zakir, already a legend in Indian classical music circles, became a household name. Suddenly, the man behind the tabla wasn't just for purists; he was ours. He was cool. He made classical music feel approachable, and dare I say, even trendy.

For kids like us, it was a gateway into a world we didn't know existed. Many of us began noticing the tabla in movie songs, wondering if Zakir Hussain was behind those beats. His image in the ad was so synonymous with excellence that it made us believe that if this tea was good enough for him, it had to be special.

The brilliance of that campaign lay in how it seamlessly merged tradition with aspiration. The Taj Mahal tea, much like Zakir's music, symbolised something timeless and refined. While our parents appreciated the tea for its flavour, we admired the man who endorsed it.

Looking back, the Wah Taj! ad was more than just a commercial; it was cultural shorthand for excellence, sophistication and joy. For a generation of 80s and 90s kids, Zakir Hussain became more than a maestro; he became the face of a shared moment, a national icon who brought rhythm to our chai breaks and left us all saying, Wah Ustaad! Rest in Peace, Maestro.