Why Arijit Singh Quit Playback Singing

One reason Arijit Singh gave for quitting singing is that he is 'bored'.

Arijit Singh stunned India by announcing his retirement from playback singing.

In an Instagram post, he expressed gratitude for the love he has received over the years: 'Hello, Happy new year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much of love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not gonna be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey.'

While fans are heartbroken by the news, the singer listed his reasons for his seemingly abrupt decision.

Arijit's reasons for retiring from singing

Arijit listed his reasons for quitting music in what is reported to be his private X account, and the reasons may seem surprising.

A viral screenshot of what many are claiming to be a post from his private X account claims that Arijit simply got 'bored'.

'One of the reasons was simple, I get bored pretty quick, that's why I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and perform them on stage. So here is the thing, I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.

Another reason he stated was that he is 'excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation'.

Arijit on returning to Indian classical music

A third reason Arijit gave is that he wanted to go back to Indian classical music.

'I want to start again,' Arijit is reported to have tweeted.

Arijit started training in Indian classical music at the age of three under the Hazari brothers (Rajendra Prasad Hazari, Dhirendra Prasad Hazari, Birendra Prasad Hazari) in Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal. At the age of nine, he got a scholarship from the government for training in Indian classical music.

He was a contestant on the reality music show Fame Gurukul in 2005 but did not win. But he didn't give up. He started assisting music composers, understanding how songs are made. Aashiqui 2's Tum Hi Ho in 2013 pole vaulted him into superstardom.

Arijit's brilliant music career

Arijit has numerous chartbusters to his credit: Channa Mereya, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Raabta, Kesariya, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Tera Yaar Hoon Main, Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage...

Last year, he collaborated with English singer Ed Sheeran on the hit song Sapphire, sharing singing credits as well as the screen in the music video.

According to the Economic Times newspaper, Arijit's net worth is estimated at around Rs 414 crore (Rs 4.14 billion), making him India's richest singer. His annual income is close to Rs 70 crore (Rs 700 million), which includes income from concerts and international tours.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff