Many of Sidhu Moose Wala’s songs spoke of normalizing violence. The gun, it seems, and the gana were fast friends in Sidhu’s troubled sphere of creative activity. No musician from any part of India addressed the chaos of a rapidly disintegrating society with as much urgency immediacy and insouciance as Sidhu. His connectivity with the young of India was immense. A 24-year fan Nikhita Monga who admitted to being “addicted” to Sidhu’s music wails, “He can’t die. His music was so alive. Every morning his songs were a wake-up call to a slumbering nation. He sang about changing a corrupt social order. He sang about change. He WAS the change.”
A disturbing aspect of Sidhu’s music was his fascination with guns and violence. He was more than once spotted with a gun in his hand.
Says fellow Punjabi Sonu Sood, “For someone so supremely talented to die so young, seems very unfair. My heart goes out to the family.I pray that the bereaved family finds the strength to overcome their grief. Sidhu’s music had a far-reaching impact. It can’t be silenced by his death.”
Actor-singer-musician-author Karan Oberoi can’t get over the suddenness of Sidhu’s going. “It’s a tragedy like none else! The man was all of 28, and was a breakout star by dint of sheer talent! His lyrics were a mirror to society and so evocative that one thought, how could such a young human have such a deep precise, and fecund observation of human existence and the travails and tribulations of an ailing society? And yet his music was simple effective and relatable. The idea of eulogizing guns, alcohol, fast cars, frivolous relationships, and pretentious lifestyle through music and music videos create an aspiration amongst the young that has had its own pitfalls. His music was the game-changer in that sense.”
Music composer Lalit Pandit is in a state of shock. “For someone so young to die so suddenly! It is very sad that an artist like young Sidhu Moose Wala has been murdered in cold blood. Why would anyone want to kill a musician a singer or an artist at all? What is the world coming to? what made someone do this to a kalaakar? My heart goes to the young man’s family and my prayers for the family to be in peace .”
Lalit feels Sidhu could have been saved if his security had not been compromised. “It seems his security was lifted by the Punjab Police or the government just a day earlier before he was brutally killed.I can’t understand why this happened.I hope the criminals are brought to justice immediately. He was a very popular guy with the younger generation and it’s sad his life as an artist and as a human being is cut short by this brutal act. May he rest in peace.”