Vishal Bhardwaj Calls Arijit Singh's Retirement 'Unfair' in Emotional Instagram Post
Renowned filmmaker and music composer Vishal Bhardwaj has publicly expressed his disappointment over playback singer Arijit Singh's sudden retirement announcement. Taking to Instagram, Bhardwaj shared a heartfelt video of him jamming with Singh for what he described as "one of my last film songs" with the singer.
The Emotional Instagram Reel and Caption
In the Instagram reel shared by Vishal Bhardwaj, the filmmaker can be seen singing the scratch track of a song while Arijit Singh records the video and hums along. The clip is reportedly from their recent collaboration on Bhardwaj's forthcoming film O'Romeo, which features the chartbuster song "Hum To Tere Hi Liye The" sung by Singh.
Bhardwaj accompanied the post with an emotional caption that read: "Hey Arijit. Till a few days back, while we were jamming on this song (you were shooting the video) I didn't know that this will be one of my last film songs with you. This is unfair… #TakeBackYourSanyaas. It's unacceptable."
Interestingly, the lyrics of the song Bhardwaj is singing in the clip go: "Mujhe darr lagta hai tu jaane waala hai" (I am afraid you are going away), adding a poignant layer to the moment.
Arijit Singh's Retirement Announcement and Reasons
Arijit Singh surprised the music industry and fans on Tuesday evening when he announced his retirement from playback singing. The singer first made the announcement on his private X account and later confirmed it on his official Instagram handle.
In his statement, Singh clarified that his decision was not impulsive, stating: "There is not one reason behind this, there are several reasons, plus I have been trying to do this for a long time. Finally, I have gathered the right courage."
The singer opened up about his creative restlessness, explaining: "One of the reasons is simple: I get bored pretty quickly, that's why I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and performing them on stage. So here is the thing—I got bored. I need to do some other music to live."
Singh also expressed his desire to make space for fresh voices in the industry, adding: "Another reason is I am excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation."
Industry Reactions and Speculation About Future Moves
Since the announcement, the film industry and fans have been expressing their sadness over the news. Vishal Bhardwaj joins a growing list of mourners lamenting that a voice like Singh's will no longer be heard in movies.
The duo has collaborated extensively over the years, delivering memorable songs such as:
- "Yeh Ishq Hai"
- "Alvida"
- "Dil Dushman"
- "Na Hosh Chale"
Social media has been abuzz with speculation about Arijit Singh's next move, with many netizens on platforms like Reddit wondering if he might step into film direction. While nothing has been confirmed by Singh himself, filmmaker Anurag Basu told BBC Hindi that the singer has always shown interest in exploring life behind the camera.
Basu recalled: "The world was in shock after learning about Arijit Singh's decision, but I was not at all surprised or shocked. I have known him for a long time and feel he is very talented and wishes to do more apart from singing."
He shared an anecdote from the sets of Barfi, revealing that Singh had once expressed interest in assisting him on set: "He asked me to make him an assistant in Barfi."
The retirement announcement marks the end of an era in Hindi film music, with Vishal Bhardwaj's emotional response highlighting the deep connections and collaborations that have defined Arijit Singh's illustrious career.
