Arijit Singh: Biography of the Playback Singer

Early life in Jiaganj

Arijit Singh was born on 25 Apr 1987 in Jiaganj, a small town in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. His father, Surinder Singh, comes from a Punjabi Sikh family whose roots go back to Lahore before Partition. His mother, Aditi Singh, was Bengali and sang and played the tabla herself. She died on 20 May 2021, aged 52.

Music ran through his mother's side of the family. An aunt was trained in Hindustani classical music, his grandmother sang and an uncle played the tabla. That's why his parents put him into formal lessons when he was about three.

Training with the Hazari brothers

His teachers were three brothers from Jiaganj. Rajendra Prasad Hazari taught him Hindustani classical vocals, Dhirendra Prasad Hazari taught him tabla, and Birendra Prasad Hazari taught him Rabindra Sangeet and Western pop. At nine he won a government scholarship for classical vocal training.

He studied at Raja Bijay Singh High School and then at Sripat Singh College, which is affiliated with the University of Kalyani. He has called himself a "decent student" whose mind was always on music. He grew up on Mozart and Beethoven as well as Bengali songs, and he names Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Manna Dey among the singers he admires most. You can read how Kishore Kumar shaped Hindi film singing in our separate biography.

Fame Gurukul and the studio years

In 2005 he took part in Fame Gurukul, a Sony TV singing contest. He didn't win, but the show brought him to Mumbai and into the industry. For the next few years he worked behind the scenes as a music programmer and assistant to composers including Pritam, Mithoon, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Vishal–Shekhar.

That work taught him how film songs are built, from arrangement to final mix. It also put him on soundtracks such as Golmaal 3, Crook and Action Replayy as a programmer and backing voice.

First songs and the Aashiqui 2 breakthrough

His first Hindi film song as a playback singer was "Phir Mohabbat" from Murder 2 (2011). "Raabta" from Agent Vinod (2012) got him noticed, and he sang on Players, Cocktail and Barfi! the same year.

Everything changed with Aashiqui 2 in 2013. "Tum Hi Ho", composed by Mithoon, became the song of the year and won him his first Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. On the same album he sang "Hum Mar Jayenge" with Tulsi Kumar; our guide to what Hum Mar Jayenge means explains that duet line by line in theme.

Within months he was singing on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. Composers wanted his soft, close-to-the-mic tone for romantic songs, and stars wanted it on their films.

The voice of the 2010s

From 2014 to 2019 he was the most-used male voice in Hindi cinema. In 2014 he sang "Manwa Laage" with Shreya Ghoshal for Happy New Year, and in 2015 "Gerua" for Dilwale. "Channa Mereya" and the title song of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) became two of his best-known recordings.

He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer five years in a row, from 2016 to 2020. In 2019 "Binte Dil" from Padmaavat earned him his first National Film Award. The same year "Khairiyat" (Chhichhore), "Tujhe Kitna Chahne Lage" (Kabir Singh) and "Ghungroo" (War) all topped streaming charts.

Critics describe his voice as a warm baritone with strong control of meend, the slide between notes in Indian classical music. He's best known for ballads, but he has also sung dance tracks such as "Nashe Si Chadh Gayi", Sufi-style songs such as "Mast Magan" and Punjabi folk-pop such as "Samjhawan".

Oriyon Music and independent work

In July 2020 he launched his own label, Oriyon Music, to release songs outside films. His first independent single as singer, composer and producer was "Rihaa", with a Bengali version, "Mukto Kore Dao".

He kept recording for films too. "Kesariya" from Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022) won him a Filmfare Award and, at the 70th National Film Awards in 2024, his second National Award. "Chaleya" from Jawan (2023) was another chart-topper. In 2025 "Sajni" from Laapataa Ladies brought his eighth Filmfare Award, equalling the record Kishore Kumar set for Best Male Playback Singer.

Live concerts and global reach

He has toured widely since the mid-2010s, often with a symphony orchestra. He has played the Dubai World Trade Centre, AFAS Live in Amsterdam, the Prudential Center in Newark and London's O2 Arena, and he performed before the India–Pakistan match at the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad.

Streaming made him bigger still. He has been the most-streamed artist in India on Spotify every year from 2019, and in 2025 The Economic Times reported that he'd become the most-followed artist on the platform worldwide. In 2025 Ed Sheeran visited him in Jiaganj, and Singh sang on Sheeran's song "Sapphire".

Retirement from playback singing

On 27 Jan 2026 he told fans on social media that he would take no new assignments as a playback singer. "I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey," he wrote. He said he would finish projects he'd already agreed to and keep making music on his own. CNBC TV18 reported that "Maatrubhumi" from Salman Khan's Battle of Galwan was among his last committed film songs.

He gave no reason for the decision. He has, though, spoken before about singers being underpaid, and in a 2023 interview he criticised the practice of recording songs without fair payment.

Awards and honours

In 2025 the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour, for his work in the arts.

Personal life

He married Koel Roy in January 2014 in a private ceremony at Tarapith, West Bengal. The couple keep their family life out of the media.

He still lives mainly in Jiaganj, where locals know him as "Shomu". Reports describe him riding a scooter around town and doing his own errands. He rarely gives interviews, uses social media sparingly and seldom appears on television. A 2016 guest spot on The Kapil Sharma Show is one of the few exceptions. He's a Manchester United fan and has named Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Saina Nehwal among his favourite athletes.

Through the Tatwamasi Foundation he backs projects in Murshidabad district, including a hospital, a music academy and a sports complex. In June 2021 he played a live-streamed relief concert with Facebook and GiveIndia to raise money for India's Covid-19 response.

Net worth

There's no credible published rich-list estimate of Arijit Singh's net worth, so we don't give a figure. The numbers that circulate online aren't sourced.

Legacy

Arijit Singh defined how Hindi film romance sounded for more than a decade, much as Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar did for earlier generations. He did it while staying in his home town, avoiding publicity and, in the end, walking away at the top. His eight Filmfare Awards put him level with Kishore Kumar, and his streaming numbers have no Indian equal.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. The Hindu (PTI): Arijit Singh retires from playback singing, 27 Jan 2026
2. The Economic Times: retirement statement and career overview
3. CNBC TV18: pending projects after retirement
4. Padma Awards, Government of India
5. Wikipedia: Arijit Singh (cross-checked dates, songs and awards)

Facts checked against the sources above by Tulasiram Pemmadi on 8 Nov 2026 (IST). Where reliable sources disagree, the article says so. Spotted an error? See our corrections page or email contact@nextplayintel.com.

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