Playback singer Shantanu Mukherjee, better known as Shaan, has one of the most soulful voices in Indian cinema. In a career spanning more than three decades, the singer has voiced a number of hits, including "Chand Sifarish", "Bum Bum Bole", "Tanha Dil", "Hey Shona", and "Chaar Kadam", to name a few. Over the years, he has sung for some of the biggest stars in the country and made a name for himself as one of the best playback singers in Indian cinema. However, despite having such iconic tracks to his name, Shaan feels that Gen Z knows him only as an “abusive person” who went viral a few years back due to a video that became a meme. After Singer Shaan’s La*da Viral Meme; Sonu Nigam Goes NSFW With ‘Masturbation’ Story From His School Days (Watch Videos).

Shaan Recalls His Viral L***a Meme

In a conversation with Mashable India, Shaan recalled the 2020 incident, which is now a viral meme on social media. For the unversed, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaan had hosted an Instagram live session to interact with his fans. Howeer, while reading the comments, the singer came across a few abusive ones to which he reacted and asked those people to stop behaving like that.

Shaan’s Instagram Post

 

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A post shared by Shaan Mukherji (@singer_shaan)

Recalling the incident, Shaan said, "I was reading the comments without my glasses on. I didn't know that people abuse you in the comments. When I was reading it, and read it is, 'abey ey l***a.' But the catch was that someone screen recorded my live and it became a huge meme. Eventually it became my identity."

Shaan’s Viral Video From 2020

Shaan added that Gen-Z started recognising him only as the abusive uncle and not as a renowned singer with many popular tracks to his credit. "Gen-Z doesn't know me as a singer but they remember me as the abuser uncle. When my sons' friends meet them, they be like 'Arey, so he is your father?' Then they confirm it by showing them the meme. Covid ne bahut ajaz gajab cheezein karwayi hain." (Covid took us through a lot of weird experiences). Sonu Nigam Concert Controversy: Singer Shaan Comes Out in Support of Fellow Musician, Says People Should Be ‘More Patient and Tolerant’.

Watch Shaan’s Full Interview Below:

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shaan recently sang the song "Tanvi Ki Jai" from Anupam Kher's directorial debut, Tanvi The Great. The movie is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 18, 2025.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2025 11:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).