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ARIJIT SINGH

- BH HARSH

THIS is not the first time that a popular artiste has retired before time.

The best of them have often quietly receded into the background, leaving behind a legacy that shows up only in viral reels now. But Arijit Singh’s announcement came asa true shocker. While posting an update that would send fans into endless grief, the singer neither offered a detailed explanation nor penned a long note. He casually shared the news along with his new year greetings, almost as an afterthought. In a way, the message aptly captured what made Arijit an impactful presence in contemporary music. He did it like nobody else could. While Arijit has clarified that he will be active as a musician, his fans see this as a farewell, as a void that would be hard to fill—and for a good reason.

Before he made it big in the film music scene, Arijit was already a familiar name for the 90s kids who grew up seeing him as a volcanic talent on the TV show Fame Gurukul (2006), as someone who clearly stood out, yet got voted out due to skewed up voting system. Years later, even though he received plenty of acclaim for his songs in Barfi (2012), it was ‘Sun Raha Hai Na,’ his chartbuster from the breakout hit Aashiqui 2 (2013) that made Arijit an overnight sensation and a nationwide sweetheart. 2013 was a time when Hindi film music was at its experimental peak, with plenty of new sensibilities on the block. And yet, there was no voice that captured the imagination of a generation.