Most recently, the duo collaborated on Vishal’s upcoming film O’Romeo, whose new song sung by Arijit, “Hum To Tere Hi Liye The”, has already become a chart-topper. Vishal shared a video on his Instagram account showing the two playing another O’Romeo song. In the clip, Vishal can be seen singing the scratch track of a song while Arijit, shooting the video, hums. Vishal accompanied the post with the caption, “Hi Arijit. Until a few days ago, while we were playing this song (you were shooting the video), I didn’t know that this would be one of my last film songs with you. This is unfair… #TakeBackYourSanyaas. It’s unacceptable.”

Interestingly, the lyrics of the song that Vishal sings goes like this: “Mujhe darr lagta hai tu jaane waala hai” (I’m afraid you’re leaving). On his private X account, Arijit addressed his decision, clarifying that it was not made impulsively. “There is no single 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,” he wrote. Arijit spoke more about his creative restlessness and spoke candidly about his need for change. “One of the reasons is simple: I get bored pretty quickly, so I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and performing them on stage. So here’s the thing: I got bored. I need to make other music for a living.” The singer also expressed his desire to make space for new voices in the industry, noting that his decision may have as much to do with the future of Hindi film music as it does his own journey. “Another reason is that I’m excited to hear a singer appear and give me real motivation,” he added.

So read | In Mayasabha, Rahil Anil Barve envelops the world in smoke to veil what was always there

Is Arijit Singh delving into film direction?

Since the announcement, social media has been abuzz with speculation about Arijit’s next move. Internet users on Reddit and other platforms wonder if he could dedicate himself to film direction. Although Arijit himself has not confirmed anything, the filmmaker Anurag Basu told BBC Hindi that the singer has always been inclined to explore life behind the camera. “The world was shocked after learning about Arijit Singh’s decision, but I was not surprised or shocked at all. I have known him for a long time and I feel that he is very talented and wants to do more besides singing,” Basu said. He recalled an anecdote from the sets of Barfi, which revealed that Arijit had once expressed interest in helping him on the set. “He asked me to appoint him as assistant at Barfi.”