These two words, which have haunted artistes across the globe and through the years, were behind Arijit Singh’s decision to announce a retirement from playback singing. Almost a fortnight ago, Arijit Singh, India’s most sought-after male Hindi playback singer, announced his decision to step away from singing for Bollywood movies and stay laser-focused on creating independent music. Those close to Arijit, who have spoken to him since he made the announcement, said the reticent singer feels Hindi playback singing offers neither money nor respect to singers. “Playback singing is not the place to earn money. Playback singing, an Indian phenomenonSince filmmaker Nitin Bose got professional singers to pre-record a song, and thus introduced lip-syncing for the screen in the mid-1930s, playback singing has been the chosen vehicle for those looking for money and fame through their voice.

Source: The Telegraph February 10, 2026 12:13 UTC