Achha chalta hoon — Arijit Singh to the playback industry

Arijit Singh announced on Tuesday that he is stepping away from playback singing, a decision that comes at the peak of his career as one of the most popular and in-demand voices in Hindi cinema. Sharing the news with fans in a social media post, Singh wrote, “I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey.”

The 38-year-old clarified that the decision does not signal an end to his music. He said he would continue to work independently and complete existing commitments. “God has been really kind to me. I am a fan of good music and in (the) future will be learning more and do more on my own as a small little artist. Thanks again for all your support. I still have to finish some pending commitments, will finish them. So you might get some releases this year. Just to be clear that I won’t stop making music,” he added. Even as his songs dominated music charts year after year and he amassed awards and accolades, Arijit remained largely elusive – granting few interviews and keeping media interactions to a minimum. A low profile, by choice, became as much a part of his identity as his voice.

In an interview with us in 2016, following his well-publicised fallout with Salman Khan, Arijit had spoken candidly about his outlook on success and survival in the industry. “God forbid, if I don’t get to sing tomorrow, I will become a music producer,” he had said. “I am a simple man who comes from a village (Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal) and villagers like us speak our mind.”

Mehfil mein teri hum na rahein jo, gham toh nahi hai
Kisse hamari nazdeekiyon ke kam toh nahi hain

Shreya Ghoshal:
It’s the start of a new phase of @arijitsingh and I am truly excited to hear, listen and experience what this genius churns out! I can never call this the end of an era. An artist of his calibre can never be defined by the traditional means and medium and be boxed in to fit in the set formula. Time to soar higher, my dear Arijit

Imtiaz Ali:
Arijit always struck me as an artiste with a personal journey. I don’t know what his ambitions or goals are. And surely this announcement will break the hearts of many fans of music. But I think he might be in the pursuit of something which is more valuable to him, and for that, I wish him success

‘For an artiste of Arijit’s scale, the playback framework can eventually feel limiting’
Commenting on what could be the reason for Arijit’s exit, Sherley Singh, CEO, Music Rights Management, says, “Arijit has stepped away from just the playback singing format. Playback singing is, by design, commissioned work. A singer performs within a framework that is already defined — the film’s narrative, the composer’s brief, the director’s vision, the timeline and the ownership structure. Even at the highest level, it remains work created to specification. For an artiste of Arijit’s scale, that framework can eventually feel limiting – creatively and structurally. There is only so much one can express when the tempo, emotion, lyrics, edits, remixes, and even the afterlife of the song are controlled elsewhere. What this move reflects is something deeper: The desire to create music that begins with the artiste, lives with the artiste, and stays with the artiste. When an artiste already has a global audience that is willing to follow their voice – not just their filmography – the natural next step is authorship. Original music allows the artiste to decide what to say, how to say it, when to release it, and how much to create. It restores rhythm — not just musical rhythm, but life rhythm.
Internationally, this shift is already established. Artistes move away from purely commissioned performances toward work they own — because ownership protects intent. It ensures the song is not endlessly edited, repackaged, or repurposed without the artist’s voice in the room. So this decision is not about earnings or retreat. It is about control, clarity, and creative continuity.”

The many reasons for the exit
Several theories, none officially confirmed, are circulating within industry and fan circles following Arijit Singh’s announcement.

A music label?
In a 2023 interview with The Music Podcast, Arijit spoke about how artistes are treated financially in the music industry. “This entire business is conducted on the back of artistes… if everyone feels it’s not fair, then something is wrong. People should think about it,” he said, adding, “Either pay fairly for the work being done or don’t assign work at all… Everything is negotiated at the end of the day.” In the same interview, he further expressed, “Some artistes are extremely passionate. After the final output, they realise how much effort they put in. When the payment turns out to be less than promised, that’s when you kill an artiste.” He added that an artiste’s “selfless relationship with art gets manipulated.” Many believe that this could indicate his interest in starting his own music label.

Avoiding politics?
One unverified claim suggests that ahead of the West Bengal elections, a political party approached the singer to contest on its ticket. Singh is said to have declined, choosing to stay away from politics.

Thinking films?
Another possibility is Arijit shifting to production, backing content like the debut film starring Nawazuddin’s daughter.

Ramesh Taurani
I think he should rethink. He’s a great talent and film industry has given him so much love and respect, and above all, his fans and public who love him immensely will be very sad.


– Inputs from Debarati S Sen and Renuka Vyavahare
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