The legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away on Monday morning, leaving an irreplaceable void in the hearts of music lovers. It was in the 1980s when the legendary artist became the face of Taj Mahal Tea through a series of memorable TV commercials. These ads portrayed him in ethnic wear, playing tabla and moving his hair; all the ads used to end with the famous tagline, “Wah Taj!” Though these commercials solidified his place as a household name, this came at the cost of a very weird commitment.

Zakir Hussain was not allowed to cut his long hair

Did you know Zakir Hussain was not allowed to cut his long hair because of a clause in his contract with the tea brand? Yes, you read that right. Zakir Hussain was not allowed to cut his long hair as part of his deal with the Taj brand. It was Hussain, who humorously revealed this information, and had shared, "I couldn’t showcase my musical skills in 30 seconds, but I could make my hair move! I’m still their goodwill ambassador, and I’m not allowed to cut my hair, even though it’s falling out."