Madhubanti Bagchi Reacts To Arijit Singh Quitting Playback Singing; Asks If Industry Let Him Reach His Full Potential

Singer Madhubanti Bagchi, known for songs such as Aaaj ki Raat and Shararat, has reacted to Arijit Singh’s decision to quit playback singing. She said the film industry often places singers in a “box”, limiting their ability to explore their full artistic range. Bagchi further questioned whether the playback industry has truly helped singers like Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal reach the full potential of their vocal abilities.

‘They Put You In A Box And…’

In a conversation with Fever FM and Hindustan Times, Bagchi spoke about the grey side of the playback music industry, explaining how singers are often categorised and restricted to specific styles.

“The system is basically putting you in the box and not letting you… Basically, you are in a servicing industry. There is a particular purpose that you serve. If you want to do your own thing then you don’t serve their purpose and that’s not encouraged. That you do in your own space usme paise nahi dalenge [they won’t invest money in it]. Woh aise gaane gawayenge bhi jispe paise nahi dalenge. Promote nahi karenge uss gaane ko [They may even make you sing songs they won’t back financially or promote properly]. Because it does not serve the purpose, and then one is tagged as the XYZ singer.”

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Reacting to Arijit Singh stepping away from playback singing, Bagchi questioned whether the industry has given artists like him the opportunity to fully explore their talent.

“That was how it has always been, for someone like Arijit Singh, or Sunidhi Chauhan, or a Shreya Ghoshal. Imagine the range of artistry that they have. The vocal range is unthinkable.”

She added, “But has the industry, specifically the playback industry, has it been able to help them reach their actual true potential? No. They have been segmented. The number of crying and romantic songs Arijit has sung… it took him a while to reach a Binte Dil. He is very blessed. Can I say the same for myself? I don't know if I will ever get a song like that.”

Arijit Singh’s Retirement

Arijit Singh announced his exit from playback singing on January 27 through a post on Instagram. 

He wrote, “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.”

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Later, Singh clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that although he has stopped accepting new projects, several previously recorded songs are still pending release.

“Although I have stopped taking new assignments, the list of pending songs is not less, you know. I will have to complete a lot of songs. Don’t involve into explaining to people. How many times will you? There are so many Unfinished songs, they are gonna keep releasing until done. Maybe through this whole year. Maybe it will touch next year too,” Singh had written on X (formerly Twitter). 

Despite the retirement announcement, several of Singh’s previously recorded tracks have continued to release. His first song after the announcement, Tere Sang, was released on February 7 under the Salman Khan Films banner. The track is part of a short film titled Echoes of Us and features vocals by Arijit Singh and Iulia Vantur.

Soon after, Singh also released an independent devotional single titled O Shiv Mere ahead of Maha Shivratri on February 9. The track is written by lyricist Kumaar, composed by Mandeep Panghal, and programmed by Piyush Ranjan.

Singh also lent his voice to the title track of Ek Din after Bollywood actor Aamir Khan reportedly spent several days persuading him to sing the song.