Last week, Arijit Singh took to social media to share that he’s retiring as a playback vocalist. The news left his fans disappointed. Many of his peers also reacted to it, hinting at how he’s likely to step
into a new chapter of his career. Before Arijit became a force to be reckoned with in the Hindi film music industry, he was a participant on Fame Gurukul, a 2005 music reality show. And ever since he announced his retirement, a clip of Arijit and Ila Arun from the show has gone viral on social media.
In the video, she’s seen reprimanding him for voting a co-contestant out, who he shared a deep friendship with. When Ila confronted him about his intentions, Arijit began crying almost immediately. Ila even refused to let him touch her feet. Speaking exclusively to News18, she recalls Arijit’s Fame Gurukul stint and reflects on his growth. “I enjoyed a veto power in Fame Gurukul. I saved him from getting evicted thrice. Even then, I knew that he was the most talented one.”
“Judges – Javed (Akhtar) bhai, Shankar (Mahadevan) sa and KK – had evicted him. And the day he got eliminated, I had said that Arijit hi hai lambi race ka ghoda. I adore him. I wish him all the best for this new chapter. My blessings are always with him,” she adds. Reacting to his retirement, she remarks, “I was shocked! Every good Bollywood song of the past few years are sung by him. His young audiences are so upset. He broke the hearts of so many girls.”
Referring to his post on X where he spoke about monotony setting in, she tells us, “He has been singing the same kind of songs and so, he may want to pursue something else. He probably doesn’t want to repeat himself. As far as I know him, he isn’t a part of any rat race. He’s deeply spiritual. He must have hit a saturation point. He must have seen how other singers began copying him. Maybe, he thought that enough is enough.”
She continues, “He’s a man of few words but he isn’t arrogant. Woh apne dhun mein rehta hai. He must have thought, mera music inn pagalon se kahin zyada achcha hai aur mujhe inki sunni padh rahi hai. This could be perceived as arrogance by some. But sometimes, if an artiste isn’t arrogant, they’re taken for granted. I’ve full faith in him. I’m not questioning his decision. I don’t think he’ll regret it. Kuch sochke hi liya hoga itna bada nirnay. He’s very wise.”
What, according to Ila, sets Arijit apart is how he treats stardom. “Woh thoda sant aadmi hai. He stays in his home town and works from home. He runs a restaurant where people can have meals for Rs 40. He never had any starry airs. I saw him as a child. He has matured so much today. He has left everyone behind. He could’ve easily lived in a fool’s paradise. But he stayed connected to his roots. Uske andar ek daivik shakti hai, iss ko aap pagalpan ya junoon keh lijiye,” she says.
While some reports claim that the break is to focus on his career as a director, others suggest that he may foray into politics. Ila hasn’t been able to get in touch with Arijit yet as ‘he’s getting a lot of phone calls’ but she wishes him luck on his directorial debut: “Yes, he was directing a film featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s daughter. I never imagined that he would venture into direction. He isn’t someone who’s obsessed with making money but he has the ability to become the next Sanjay Leela Bhansali.”
