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‘Arijit Singh announced his retirement because he got tired of singing the same song again and again’: Anurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap shared that Arijit Singh is a very talented singer who wants to explore so many things but is made to sing the same heartbreak songs.

Published on: Feb 16, 2026 8:23 PM IST
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Singer Arijit Singh's shocking announcement to retire from playback singing came as a blow to many fans last month. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has now weighed in on the decision of the singer and said that he quit because he was made to sing the same song of heartbreak over and over again. (Also read: 'Arijit Singh is done with music being a machine’: Music producer reveals why singer quit playback singing)

Anurag Kashyap has commented on Arijit Singh's decision to retire from playback singing.
Anurag Kashyap has commented on Arijit Singh's decision to retire from playback singing.

What Anurag said about Arijit Singh

During the interaction with Tried and Refused Productions, Anurag said, “The fact that Arijit Singh announced his retirement is because he was tired of singing thing again and again. Always the heartbreak song. The man is so talented. He did the music for Sanya Malhotra's Pagglait. He is also a filmmaker. He takes care of his entire town. He is a very private person and he does not want to keep singing the same kind of songs. There is more to Arijit Singh than heartbreak songs.”

He went on to add, “Woh bohot kuch karna chahta hain (He wants to try a lot of other things). When we did Nishaanchi, he did some 100 songs of that song because nobody had asked him to sing that kind of a song. He is like that, he does things on his own terms. Music comes from the soul. The pure singers, musicians work from the soul. If you give them that space they come out at something else. But if you tell them aisa hi chahiye (only this we want) they feel restricted. They feel they are not exploring themselves.”

Arijit's announcement

On January 27, Arijit announced that he will no longer take up new assignments as a playback vocalist, calling an end to a "wonderful" journey. In a message shared with his fans on X (formerly Twitter), Arijit 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," he wrote in his post on Instagram.

About Arijit's career

Arijit is also a composer, music producer and instrumentalist. He began his career by participating in the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005. He made his Hindi film debut in 2011 with the song Phir Mohabbat (Murder 2). He received wider recognition with the release of Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2 in 2013.

Over the years, he lent his voice to several iconic tracks, including Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, Agar Tum Saath Ho, Raabta, Kesariya, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Tera Yaar Hoon Main, Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage and Hum To Tere Hi Liye The from director Vishal Bhardwaj's O Romeo.

  • Santanu Das
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Santanu Das

    Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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