The inspirational tale of Gulshan Kumar’s rise from ‘Zero to Hero’ reflects his dedicated efforts in establishing the largest music company in the country. While Gulshan Kumar may not be present with us today, his journey from humble beginnings to remarkable success continues to serve as a perpetual source of motivation.

Gulshan Kumar was born into a middle-class family in Punjab. The family relocated from West Punjab (now Pakistan) to Delhi during the partition. His father managed a modest juice shop in the Daryaganj area of Delhi, representing the sole income source for the family. During his childhood, Gulshan actively assisted his father in this business. His affinity for music dates back to his early years, and he held deep reverence for Lord Shiva and, particularly, Vaishno Devi Mata.

The name Gulshan Kumar instantly brings to mind the devotional songs of the T-Series from the 90s. Gulshan Kumar, who once operated a juice shop, is the visionary behind T-Series, India’s largest music company. He initiated T-Series during an era dominated by cassettes. From the 90s to the present day, T-Series has maintained its reign as the music industry powerhouse. Today, T-Series stands as a company worth 30 billion rupees.

Gulshan Kumar ventured into the world of audio cassettes in the 1970s and began not only selling them but also started recording devotional songs dedicated to Goddess Vaishno Devi. By the 1980s, he had expanded into the business of recording songs onto cassettes. His approach of filling empty cassettes with songs based on people’s preferences proved to be a tremendous success. During this period, he started preparing a cassette for 7 rupees and selling it for 25 rupees. This strategy allowed him to achieve a remarkable 300% profit margin on each cassette.

After this, Gulshan Kumar started his own audio cassette operation called ‘Super Cassettes Industries.’ Following the immense success of audio cassettes, he initiated the music production company ‘T-Series’ in Noida. In just a few years, T-Series worked to eliminate the dominance of companies like ‘Music India’ and ‘Polydor,’ distributing cassettes and music to every household.

After the tremendous success of T-Series, Gulshan Kumar turned towards the film industry and moved to Mumbai. During this period, he mentored several singers, including Sonu Nigam and Anuradha Paudwal, helping them become star singers. Devotional music played a significant role in making T-Series popular across households. During this time, he also began producing films and TV serials related to Hindu mythological stories, in addition to music and Bollywood films. The year 1989 saw the production of the first Bollywood film by T-Series, titled ‘Laal Dupatta Malmal Ka.’

In the year 1990, T-Series produced the film ‘Aashiqui,’ introducing new talents like Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal. However, despite considerable efforts, no one was willing to purchase the film, and releasing it posed significant challenges. After persistent struggles, the film was finally released on July 27, 1990, and immediately created a sensation in cinemas. The success of the film overnight turned Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal into stars. Meanwhile, the superhit music of the film played a pivotal role in establishing T-Series as the largest music company in India.

Under Gulshan Kumar’s leadership, T-Series went on to produce films such as ‘Bahar Aane Tak,’ ‘Aai Milan Ki Raat,’ ‘Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin,’ ‘Meera Ka Mohan,’ ‘Jeena Marna Tere Sang,’ and ‘Bewafa Sanam.’ Today, under the leadership of his younger brother, Krishan Kumar, and his son, Bhushan Kumar, T-Series has produced successful films like ‘Tum Bin,’ ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa,’ ‘Ready,’ ‘Aashiqui 2,’ ‘Yaariyan,’ ‘Baby,’ ‘Hate Story 2,’ ‘Hate Story 3,’ ‘Airlift,’ ‘Sarbjit,’ ‘Raaz: Reboot,’ ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety,’ ‘Red,’ ‘Satyameva Jayate,’ ‘De De Pyaar De,’ ‘Kabir Singh,’ ‘Batla House,’ ‘Tanha Ji,’ ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan,’ ‘Sherni,’ ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2,’ ‘Drishyam 2,’ and ‘Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar,’ among others.

In 1997, the underworld orchestrated the murder of Gulshan Kumar in a Mumbai temple. Following his demise, his younger brother, Krishan Kumar, and son, Bhushan Kumar, took charge of T-Series. Evolving over time, the company has become not only India’s largest music label but also the biggest film production company. In 2010, the company launched its YouTube channel, and today, it stands as the world’s largest YouTube channel.