Birbhum peanuts seller, online sensation, hawks for votes in Kolkata

KOLKATA: From the obscure terrains of Dubrajpur in Birbhum to hobnobbing with political leaders and celebrities in the city, internet sensation Bhuban Badyakar — better known as the peanut-man — is now the hot property for every political party that are wooing him to be with them to use his popularity in their campaign.
In the last two weeks, the biggest thing on social media has been a Bengali song called ‘Kacha Badam’ (untoasted peanuts) which has gone viral and has been making rounds on Facebook stories, YouTube, Instagram reels and Twitter.
The creator of the song, Bhuban Badyakar, is a peanut seller from Kuraljuri village in Birbhum’s Dubrajpur who has been topping the charts with a number of celebrities talking about him and sharing his songs. The sudden popularity had hit Badykar hard initially but with more offers, he claims to be adjusting himself to celebrity status.
“I am overwhelmed to find so many important people willing to be with me and hear my song. This is only my second visit to Kolkata ever and I am glad that I have been called here as a musician this time. My life has gone topsy turvy in the last one week. At times, the attention is getting painful but I am hoping for a better future for my family and me banking on my music,” said Badyakar, who was attending two political rallies in Kolkata on Saturday, one by Madan Mitra and another with ward 14 candidate Amal Chakraborty.
Since his internet fame, a number of political parties had been making a beeline outside his home. BJP was the first to capitalize, sending senior leaders to his home but Trinamool didn’t lag behind as they lifted him from his home and brought him to Kolkata to campaign for their candidates.
“I always wanted to become a singer and in my young days, I was also part of a Baul group. But while taking care of the family, I somehow couldn’t pursue singing as a career. But I never quit singing. I used to hum while working as a mason or while selling vegetables or peanuts. A few months ago, a scrap dealer in Dubrajpur told me that scraps like broken cell phones, human hair or old imitation jewellery sell at a good price. I thought of buying those from locals in exchange of peanuts and stitched a song. I never knew people would love it so much,” said Badyakar.
Few weeks ago, one buyer recorded him singing and uploaded it on social media. The song is now everywhere. “I always appreciate raw talent and that is the reason I brought him as part of a campaign here with us. He is a brilliant artist and represents the raw talent hidden everywhere in Bengal,” said Mitra, who was campaigning for ward 2 candidate Kakali Sen.
(Inputs from Amit Moulick)