Arijit Singh retirement: A chorus of goodbyes and good luck

Singer-composer Arijit Singh’s announcement that he is retiring from playback singing has sent ripples through India’s music industry. The news, shared on Tuesday evening via social media, stunned fans and colleagues alike, given the singer’s chart-topping dominance and global reach. “I am happy to announce that 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,” Arijit told followers, thanking listeners for their love.

Playback singers, as industry veterans like to say, often do not retire. Some continue until their voices fade; others bow out only when the calls from recording studios stop. Arijit, however, chose to step away on his own terms, prompting wide admiration across the music community and beyond.

On Wednesday, musicians Shreya Ghoshal, Kumar Sanu, Anoushka Shankar and Iman Chakraborty were among the first to offer public support.

'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,” wrote Shreya under his retirement post, reflecting the shock many felt alongside excitement for what comes next. The pair have together delivered songs such as Ve Kamleya, Bahara Bahara, Shayad and Agar Tum Saath Ho.

Kumar Sanu called him a truly talented global star, while sitarist Anoushka Shankar reacted with heart emoticons. Iman Chakraborty added simply, “Love you Arijit. Respect for everything.” Singer Sonam Mohapatra described the move as rare and admirable: “So this choice? It’s brave. It’s generous. It’s disruptive in the best way. Big cheer to you Arijit. May this new road be full of joy, fulfillment and abundant creativity.” Actress Mimi Chakraborty responded with “Fan girl.”

Rappers also chimed in — Raja Kumari wrote, “The time has come,” Badshah noted that Arijit is “Sadiyon mein ek (one in centuries),” while Armaan Malik, his collaborator on tracks including Channa Mereya and Tum Hi Ho, remarked: “The soul knows when it’s time to change direction. Here’s to the magic again, but I trust the current and the grace guiding it.” Actor Aly Goni said he found it difficult to digest the news.

No formal reason has been offered for the exit, though speculation in music and film circles suggests a long deliberation, with Arijit keen to step back from the Bollywood playback system and devote himself entirely to independent work.

The shift is not without precedent. As The Telegraph Online observed, he already took the first step “over a decade ago, when he bade goodbye to the relentless lifestyle in Mumbai and moved back to his quiet hometown on the banks of the Bhagirathi in Murshidabad’s Jiaganj”.

The pandemic and the passing of his mother accelerated this transition between 2021 and 2022, after which Jiaganj became his primary base. There he set up a home studio, enrolled his children in a local school, and prioritised family life. He continued to travel to Mumbai for playback commitments and tour internationally, but Jiaganj remained the centre of gravity.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt told The Telegraph Online that Arijit’s decision was reminiscent of artists who retreat inward at their creative peak. “At the height of their powers, some artists step away — not from art but from noise. They choose silence, solitude, and truth over constant performance,” Bhatt said.

He recalled meeting a young Arijit during the making of Mohit Suri’s Aashiqui 2: “When I heard about Arijit’s decision to stop singing for others, I was unexpectedly taken back to an afternoon at Super Sound Service in Khar — the old T-Series building — where the journey of Aashiqui 2 truly began. We were releasing the music, and Arijit was called to sing Tum Hi Ho. A shy self-effacing young man walked up to the dais and sang a song that would quietly mesmerise the world. That moment became a springboard into a life that would never be the same again.”

Arijit first made his mark on the reality show Fame Gurukul, then exploded into mainstream consciousness with Tum Hi Ho. One chartbuster followed another, and over the past decade he has also become a formidable independent force: a four-time Grammy Award winner, a producer, and founder of his own label, Oriyon Music (launched in 2020).

He has repeatedly topped global streaming charts — overtaking even Taylor Swift on Spotify at least twice — and attracted collaborations with global stars. In February last year, Ed Sheeran visited Jiaganj during his India tour, jamming with Arijit in his home studio; video of Sheeran riding pillion as Arijit zipped him around town went viral.

Composer Anu Malik, who worked with Arijit on a single track in the 2017 film Begum Jaan, called him the most complete musician he has encountered. “Mukesh Bhatt wanted him (to sing). He loved the tune. He must have asked for a hundred takes. I would say ok, but he would insist on one more take,” Malik told The Telegraph Online. “He is phenomenal, a prodigy and at the same time one of the most grounded and sorted individuals I have met in my life.”

Malik added that Arijit “sings, plays various instruments, arranges music, and knows music programming and production”, and said he hoped to learn the deeper reason behind the retirement. “There must be a good reason for him to have decided to step away… Thankfully he will continue as an independent musician, as a singer.”

This last point has given fans hope. Arijit may be stepping away from the recording studios of Bollywood, but he is not abandoning music. As Bhatt put it, “So his choice today doesn’t provoke a ‘why’ in me. Because a voice that has already given itself so fully to the world sometimes needs to return home — to itself.” Arijit himself has hinted that the next phase will involve composition and independent production, ambitions he once discussed with lyricist Javed Akhtar.

For many artists of his generation, playback singing is no longer the singular path. Arijit’s departure from film vocals, 13 years after redefining the sound of screen romance, reflects that shift. He will keep creating — just not on Bollywood’s terms. In Jiaganj, surrounded by family and collaborators who drop in to make music rather than content, Arijit Singh appears exactly where he wants to be.