The voice behind the award-winning song Tum Hi Ho from
Aashiqui 2, Arijit Singh is an Indian playback singer and a music programmer, who started his career by participating in the reality show Fame Gurukul (2005). Muskurane from CityLights, Suno Na Sangemarmar from Youngistaan Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy`s Mast Magan from
2 States, and title track of the movie
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil are few of his most loved songs.
Early life
Arijit was born in West Bengal to a Punjabi father and a Bengali mother. He hails from a family of musicians with his maternal grandmother being a singer, maternal aunt being trained in Indian classical music, maternal uncle playing the tabla, and his mother being a singer and a tabla player, imparting music to this artist since his childhood. He studied at Raja Bijay Singh High School and Sripat Singh College. He learnt Indian classical music from Rajendra Prasad Hazari and trained in playing the tabla under Dhirendra Prasad Hazari. He trained for Rabindra Sangeet and pop music under Birendra Prasad Hazari.
Personal life
Arijit Singh first married one of his co-contestants Koyal Singh from a reality show, but got divorced. The singer then married his childhood friend Koel Roy in Tarapith temple, West Bengal in 2014. Koel was also previously married and has a daughter from her first wedding.
Television career
Arijit took the first big step in his career by participating in the reality show Fame Gurukul (2005). Even though he did not win the show, it helped him get good exposure. He then won the reality show 10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, which gave him the head start that he needed for his music career.
Movie career
As a singer
After getting recognition for winning the reality show 10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, Arijit built his recording setup and worked as an assistant music programmer to Pritam Chakraborty, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, and Mithoon.
On Pritam`s insistence, he began singing sample tracks after which he made his Bollywood music debut with Mithoon`s composition Phir Mohabbat from Murder 2. He programmed Raabta from Agent Vinod, and also sung the classical arrangement in the song, which was retained in all the four versions of the song. Not only this, he also sang the entire composition in one of the versions. This followed with reprised versions of few songs from three other releases in the year including Cocktail and Barfi!. Vishal-Shekhar`s composition Duaa in the film Shanghai was a hit and won him Mirchi Music Award for Upcoming Male Playback Singer Award. He was also nominated for Mirchi Music Awards for Critics` Choice Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year for the melody Phir Le Aya Dil from Barfi!.
However, his breakthrough came with the romantic song Tum Hi Ho from the 2013 movie Aashiqui 2, for which he reunited with music composer Mithoon. The song fetched him several awards and nominations, including Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer at the 59th Filmfare Awards. He collaborated with Jeet Gannguli for the other tracks in the film as Jeet found Arijit to be the fresh voice he was hunting for. Arijit once again reunited with Pritam for the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in which he sung Dilliwaali Girlfriend, Kabira, and Ilahi. The Pritam-Arijit duo released a reprise version of the popular number Main Rang Sharbaton Ka from Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, originally sung by Atif Aslam and Chinmayi, followed by Dhokha Dhadi from R... Rajkumar. He then sung another popular song Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari from the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer
Chennai Express along with Neeti Mohan and Sunidhi Chauhan. His duet version of Har Kisi Ko from Boss with Neeti Mohan was his next well-known number, followed by Sharib-Toshi`s superhit song Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse from Jackpot. Arijit then collaborated with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the semi-classical song Laal Ishq from Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela. The romantic melody Tose Naina from Mickey Virus is one of Arijit`s most liked songs.
In 2014, Arijit collaborated with music directors Sajid-Wajid for Raat Bhar from Heropanti, Shanivar Raati and Palat - Tera Hero Idhar Hai from Main Tera Hero, and A. R. Rahman for whom he sang the dubbed Hindi version of the song Medhuvaagathaan from Kochadaiiyaan titled Dil Chaspiya. His next association was with Vishal Bhardwaj for two songs in Haider and with Sachin-Jigar for Jaise Mera Tu in Happy Ending. He also joined hands with other music directors like Tony Kakkar and Palash Muchhal in the year, and voiced for Mithoon in Humdard and Hai Dil Ye Mera. His other prominent vocal projects in the year include Vishal-Shekhar`s Manwa Laage, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy`s Sajde, two songs for Sharib-Toshi in Zid, and three tracks for Pritam in Holiday. He then went on to record the Jeet Gannguli composed Muskurane, which got him maximum nominations in the year. Jeet`s Suno Na Sangemarmar from Youngistaan and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy`s Sufi song Mast Magan from 2 States also won him Filmfare nominations.
The year 2015 marked Arijit`s debut in Tamil cinema with the song Neeye Vaazhkai Enben from the film Pugazh. He then associated with composer Amaal Mallik to provide vocals for the track Sooraj Dooba Hain from Roy and Khwaishein from Calendar Girls. After this, came his dubbed Hindi version of Pookkalae Sattru Oyivedungal from Rahman`s I, along with Shreya Ghoshal. His next collaboration was with Jeet Gannguli for the title track of Hamari Adhuri Kahani, and Chirantan Bhatt for the song Teri Meri Kahaani. His next track Chunar, a song dedicated to mothers, composed by Sachin-Jigar, was loved by audiences. He also worked with new composers like Bann Chakraborty, Khamosh Shah, Jatinder Shah, and Manj Musik, and recorded a reprise version of Sonu Nigam`s 1999 song Deewana Tera for Ek Paheli Leela. In this year, he got together with Himesh Reshammiya for the song Baaton Ko Teri from All Is Well. He lent his voice for songs in movies like Talvar, Drishyam, Guddu Rangeela, and Phantom. Arijit released a promotional single in 2015 titled Chal Waha Jaate Hain composed by Amaal Mallik, featuring Tiger Shroff Kriti Sanon in the video. Arijit stunned the Marathi audiences with his Marathi debut song Yaar Illahi - Qawwali from the movie Katyar Kaljat Ghusali.
The singer opened 2016 with Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi and Soch Na Sake from Airlift. This followed with recording tracks for movies like Sanam Teri Kasam, Ghayal Once Again, Sanam Re, and Fitoor. His soulful rendition of Bolna from the movie
Kapoor & Sons got great audience response and was also considered one of the best love songs of the year. He worked on another Tamil assignment Naan Un from 24. After recording tracks like Itni Si Baat Hain for Azhar, Zara Si Dosti for Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Phir Kabhi for
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, and Darkhaast for Shivaay, his most popular hits of the year came with the title track and Channa Mereya of the 2016 release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
As a director
Arijit Singh ventured into direction with Bhalobasar Rojnamcha in 2015. It was a Bengali feature film compiled with seven short films. He has also co-written the movie. In 2022, he sang songs for movies like Badhaai Do, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Radhe Shyam, Bachchan Pandey, Runway 34, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Samrat Prithviraj, HIT: The First Case, Shamshera, Darlings, Laal Singh Chaddha, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, Dhokha: Round D Corner, Code Name: Tiranga, Thank God, Bhediya and Freddy.