With the news of singer Arijit Singh Playback song removal goes viralhis fans have turned to nostalgia for solace. Before Arijit became a giant of his craft, he once participated in a singing reality show called Fame Gurukul. The show was the Indian adaptation of the UK’s Fame Academy, where young singers were trained and prepared for competition. Arijit was eliminated from the show and had a rough patch during the competition.
Contestants were eliminated through votes from fans and their co-contestants. During one of the episodes, Arijit decided to expel his friend, contestant Shamit Tyagi. The two had developed a strong bond during their time on the show. This sparked controversy, and Ila Arun, the head of the Gurukul, called Arijit, who questioned Arijit’s move and his intentions. Frightened Arijit started crying almost immediately when Ila refused to let him touch her feet.
She told him: “If you sing beautifully but don’t act in your personal life, I can’t stand it. Main kaise baat karu (How can I talk to you)? Do relationships matter to you at all? You’ve talked about so many relationships here, and if I’m just a teacher to you, don’t we have a relationship beyond that? I used to think people were wrong about you. “Are you really the kind of person who will cut all ties when he succeeds?”
Referring to a conversation he had with Javed Akhtar, a judge on the show, he added: “Javed bhai told me: ‘Isse achi tarah se baat kariye. Yeh agar star ban gaya toh apni car ki dhul ki tarah…’ (Talk to him kindly. If he becomes a star one day, he will treat us like smoke from his car.” Arijit interrupted her at this point and said that he considers Ila as a mother to him. Ila then gave him the recording of Shamit being interviewed after Arijit expelled him. Watching the clip, Arijit started crying incessantly as he watched Shamit in utter disbelief at being expelled.
Later Ila came and consoled Arijit. She told him that he needs to become a good human being. first and then focus on your singing. Arijit, 17, said that if Shamit faces any problem in his career, he will help him.
However, this incident soured Arijit’s public image and the singer was expelled soon after. He obtained sixth place in the program. Qazi Touqeer and Ruprekha Banerjee ended up winning the contest and received a music contract from Sony worth Rs 1 million, along with a suzuki maruti High. Later, Arijit beat the winners of Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol in a show called 10 ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, bagging a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.