5 Times Arijit Singh Spoke Out Against Bollywood

Arijit Singh has been Bollywood’s go-to voice for heartbreak, love, and longing. He has defined music for an entire generation. But off the mic, the singer has never shied away from speaking his mind. From calling out industry power dynamics to questioning unfair pay structures and even defending controversial creative choices, Arijit has often taken uncomfortable but honest stands. Most importantly, he has always been pretty transparent with his fans. His recent announcement of retiring from playback singing has once again brought attention to his complicated relationship with Bollywood. Here are five key moments when Arijit Singh openly spoke out against the industry, revealing the pressures, politics, and personal convictions behind his musical

journey.

When Arijit Singh called out Salman Khan

One of the most talked-about moments of Arijit Singh’s career dates back to 2014, when he was riding high on the success of Aashiqui 2. At an awards show hosted by Salman Khan, Arijit walked up on stage looking visibly exhausted to collect the Best Playback Singer - Male award for Tum Hi Ho. Salman jokingly asked, “Soye nahi kya?” (You didn’t sleep or what?), to which Arijit replied, “Aap logo ne sula diya” (You guys put me off to sleep).What seemed like harmless banter soon turned into a lingering industry cold war. The tension became public in 2016 when Arijit issued an apology on social media before the release of Salman Khan’s Sultan. He had recorded Jag Ghoomeya for the film, but his version was replaced in the final cut.

“I never insulted you… I tried so many times to apologise. Please don’t remove the song I sang for Sultan," Arijit wrote about the incident. He asked Salman to let him retire with that song in his library. Though he deleted the post later, it exposed how vulnerable even top singers can be in Bollywood’s power hierarchy.Years later, Salman finally addressed the issue on Bigg Boss 19, saying, “Arijit aur main bahut achhe dost hai…,” confirming the misunderstanding was from his side and that Arijit continued to sing for him in Tiger 3 and Battle Of Galwan.

Defending decision to sing the Pasoori remake

When Pasoori Nu from Satyaprem Ki Katha released, the backlash was swift. Fans questioned why Arijit Singh would agree to recreate a song as iconic as Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s Pasoori. Instead of ignoring the criticism, Arijit addressed it head-on through the same private X account.When a fan asked why he said yes to the remake, Arijit replied, “The maker has promised me a yearly fund for a school for underprivileged.” In another tweet, he added, “That's more important. Thode gaali kha lenge (I'm fine with a few brickbats).” Bollywood is obsessed with optics, but Arijit made it clear that purpose mattered more to him than public approval.

Praising Atif Aslam

In 2021, a concert clip of Arijit Singh went viral where he openly praised Atif Aslam. Arijit stated that he does not care what people think and named Atif Aslam as one of his favourite singers. He also praised Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Calling out unfair payment practices in Bollywood

In a 2023 interview with The Music Podcast, Arijit Singh openly spoke about how artists are treated financially in the music industry. Despite being one of the highest-paid singers himself, he didn’t sugarcoat the issue. “This entire business is conducted on the back of artists… if everyone feels it’s not fair, then something is wrong. People should think about it,” he said. He also criticised music labels, adding, “Either pay fairly for the work being done or don’t assign work at all… Everything is negotiated at the end of the day.”For many struggling musicians, this was one of the rare times a top Bollywood singer voiced their frustrations out loud.

Saying artists are emotionally manipulated

In the same interview, Arijit went deeper, touching on how passion is often exploited in creative industries. "Some artists are extremely passionate. After the final output, they realise how much effort they put in. When the payment turns out to be less than promised, that’s when you kill an artist,” he said, adding that an artist’s “selfless relationship with art gets manipulated.”

It was a blunt statement that peeled back Bollywood’s glossy surface and exposed the emotional cost of creating art in a commercial system.

Arijit Singh’s shocking retirement from playback singing

On January 27, Arijit Singh shocked fans by announcing his decision to retire from playback singing through his private X account, followed by an Instagram post. The 38-year-old clarified that he will continue making music and has song releases planned for 2026, but he will no longer sign new films.

Explaining his decision, Arijit wrote, “There is not one reason behind this… I get bored pretty quick… So here is the thing, I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.” He added, “Another reason is I am excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation.”In many ways, his retirement feels like the final chapter of a long, honest conversation with Bollywood, one where Arijit Singh chose truth, restlessness, and artistic freedom over staying silent.