Arijit Singh returned to the stage in Kolkata for his first live performance after announcing retirement from playback singing, performing with Anoushka Shankar.
Singer Arijit Singh marked his first performance in Kolkata days after announcing his retirement from playback singing. Videos and pictures of Arijit Singh singing live with sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar have sent social media into a frenzy, as this marks his first live performance following the retirement news.
Arijit was present as a guest performer at Anoushka’s show. A clip has the crowd hooting and cheering for Arijit as Anoushka invites him on stage. Coming on stage, Arijit, while interacting with the audience, said, “I am very nervous. Thank you for having me."
Anoushka and Arijit, along with Bickram Ghosh, sang Maya Bhora Raati. The song is a Bengali track performed by Lakshmi Shankar, with music composed by the late sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar. Following the performance, Arijit also mentioned visiting Anoushka at her home, where they collaborated on composing a song together.
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As the video of Arijit performing went viral, fans of the singer started reacting to it. “I feel so emotional—happy and heartbroken at the same time," one wrote. Another commented, “It feels like listening to him live after ages." A third fan wrote, “Oh Arijit! Missed your voice. Getting goosebumps."
Arijit Singh’s retirement announcement
Arijit Singh took to his Instagram on January 27 and announced that he would be stepping back from playback singing. He wrote, “Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey."
“God has been really kind to me. I am a fan of good music and, in the future, will be learning more and doing more on my own as a small little artist. Thanks again for all your support," he further shared in a tweet on his private account.
In a candid tweet explaining the reasons behind his decision, Arijit revealed that the move was neither impulsive nor driven by a single incident. He wrote, “There isn’t just one reason for this; there are multiple factors, and I have been contemplating this for quite some time. Ultimately, I have mustered the necessary courage."
