Heartbroken fans of renowned Indian singer Arijit Singh have been paying tribute to him after he announced he would no longer take on new playback assignments, marking the end of a defining chapter in contemporary Bollywood music.
Some described his voice as the sound of our heartbreaks and celebrations, while others called it a presence in every corner of our lives.
In Indian cinema, playback singing refers to studio recordings of songs that actors lip-sync on screen - a bedrock of Bollywood storytelling.
Singh's voice became inseparable from that tradition, providing vocals for romantic ballads and chart-topping soundtracks in recent years.
The 38-year-old, who has collaborated with global pop icons like Ed Sheeran, made his announcement on Instagram on Tuesday.
I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey, he said.
Fans flooded social media with posts reflecting on how his songs, which consistently topped the charts, had become part of India's cultural soundtrack.
Singh did not explain why he was quitting playback singing, but reports say he will finish existing commitments and projects and continue making music independently, exploring creative projects beyond commercial cinema.
The decision is unusually bold for a singer at the peak of his career.
Singh recently performed to a sold-out crowd at Wembley Arena in London, a milestone few Indian playback singers achieve. His voice - bruised, buttery and intimate - has been an inescapable undercurrent of Bollywood, narrating heartbreaks, longings and reconciliations for millions for more than a decade.
Yet, even at the height of fame, he chooses to remain on the margins of celebrity culture, visibly ambivalent about his own success.
He rarely gives interviews, avoids publicity stunts and appears in public dressed like someone you might miss entirely: soft-spoken, his face concealed in a hoodie. I hate being a celebrity, he told Forbes India in an early interview, describing himself as someone who stumbled into fame by accident.
Singh was born in 1987 in Jiagang, West Bengal, into a household where music was a daily practice. His mother and grandmother were trained classical singers, setting the groundwork for his musical journey.
His first brush with national attention came in 2005 when he appeared on the reality singing show, Fame Gurukul. Although he did not win, it proved formative in shaping his career.
Recognition arrived in 2013 with the song Tum Hi Ho from the film Aashiqui 2, which reintroduced vulnerability to Bollywood music, leading to a period of extraordinary success.
Singh became Bollywood's most relatable voice, singing across many languages and collaborating with well-known composers. However, he appeared uncomfortable with the fame, often skipping award ceremonies and shunning media attention.
In his personal life, Singh chose to remain rooted in his hometown, reflecting a preference for a simpler life away from the glamour of big cities. His recent output has been more selective as he decides to focus on independent projects.
Despite criticism that some of his songs begun to sound alike, fans now speculate on what lies ahead in his career. Some interpret his decision as an evolution of an artist who finds fame stifling, while others see it as a statement on the pressures of commercial music.
Whatever the reason, his voice will continue to define music in India.
