Heartbroken fans of renowned Indian singer Arijit Singh have been paying tribute to him after he announced he would no longer take on new playback assignments, marking the end of a defining chapter in contemporary Bollywood music.
Some described his voice as the sound of our heartbreaks and celebrations, while others called it a presence in every corner of our lives. In Indian cinema, playback singing refers to studio recordings of songs that actors lip-sync on screen - a bedrock of Bollywood storytelling. Singh's voice became inseparable from that tradition, providing vocals for romantic ballads and chart-topping soundtracks in recent years.
The 38-year-old, who has collaborated with global pop icons like Ed Sheeran, made his announcement on Instagram on Tuesday. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey, he said, igniting a flood of tributes across social media, as fans reflected on how his songs had become part of India's cultural soundtrack.
Singh did not explain why he was quitting playback singing, but reports say he will finish existing commitments and projects and continue making music independently, exploring creative projects beyond commercial cinema. The decision is unusually bold for a singer at the peak of his career. Singh recently performed to a sold-out crowd at Wembley Arena in London, a milestone few Indian playback singers achieve. His voice - bruised, buttery and intimate - has been an inescapable undercurrent of Bollywood, narrating heartbreaks, longings and reconciliations for millions for more than a decade.
Yet, even at the height of fame, he chooses to remain on the margins of celebrity culture, visibly ambivalent about his own success. He rarely gives interviews, avoids publicity stunts and appears in public dressed like someone you might miss entirely: soft-spoken, his face concealed in a hoodie. I hate being a celebrity, he told Forbes India in an early interview, describing himself as someone who stumbled into fame by accident.
Singh was born in 1987 in Jiagang, West Bengal, into a household where music was a daily practice. His mother and grandmother were trained classical singers, and he began studying music at an early age. After a brief moment of exposure through a singing reality show, Singh languished on the outskirts of the industry before his breakthrough in 2013 with Tum Hi Ho from the film Aashiqui 2, which became a national obsession.
In the following years, he rose to become Bollywood's most relatable voice, recording in multiple languages and collaborating with leading composers. However, Singh has consistently expressed discomfort with his fame, often avoiding media attention, and shunning the glitzy award ceremonies that characterize celebrity culture. His refusal to be a part of the 'celebrity machine' while maintaining his stature as a beloved figure makes his announcement resonate even more with his audience.
As Singh embarks on this new phase, fans and followers are wondering what comes next in his music journey. Some see his retirement as a natural evolution for an artist finding fame stifling, while others interpret it as a reaction to the pressures of commercial music. No matter his next steps, Arijit Singh’s voice will certainly keep defining music in India.
