Arijit Singh, who currently reigns over Indian cinema, has suddenly announced that he will no longer work as a playback singer. He made the announcement on Tuesday night, January 27, through a post on his verified Facebook page.
In the post, Arijit expressed gratitude to listeners who have supported him over the years and described his playback career as “a beautiful journey.” The post went viral almost instantly, sparking widespread discussion and speculation.
Why would someone step away from playback at the peak of popularity?
Adding another layer to the conversation is the timing of the announcement. Just before Arijit’s post, the song ‘Matribhoomi’ from Salman Khan–starrer ‘Battle of Galwan’ was released, sung by Arijit alongside Shreya Ghoshal. This led many to ask: could this song be Arijit Singh’s final playback performance?
That question is fueled by the long-discussed history between Arijit and Salman Khan. At an award ceremony in 2014, an awkward public exchange between the two created visible tension. A response by Arijit to a comment from Salman reportedly did not go down well.
Their relationship remained distant for years afterwards, and a song sung by Arijit was even removed from Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
Over time, however, that distance appears to have faded. In recent years, Salman himself has referred to Arijit as a friend. Arijit’s voice returned to Salman’s films and soon after came this announcement of stepping away from playback.
While some netizens see this as a mere coincidence, others are revisiting old chapters and fueling fresh rumors.
Putting speculation aside, Arijit has explained his decision in his own words. He says he gets bored very quickly, and repeating the same kind of songs and structures has left him exhausted. He has made it clear that he is not quitting the music industry.
Instead, he wants to create music independently, on his own terms, even if on a smaller scale. He has also said that new songs in his voice will be released later this year.
