Arijit Singh’s sudden announcement of his retirement from playback singing has sent shockwaves across the music industry and among his millions of fans. On January 27, 2026, the 38-year-old singer wrote, “I am calling it off, it was a wonderful journey,” confirming that he would not be taking up any new assignments as a playback singer.
While the decision has left many surprised, it also brings focus back to where it all began for Arijit — his early days on the reality show Fame Gurukul. Long before his soulful voice became a mainstay in Bollywood, Arijit was a 17-year-old contestant learning to navigate fame in front of national television audiences.
The Fame Gurukul chapter
Aired in 2005, Fame Gurukul was the Indian adaptation of the UK show Fame Academy, designed to train young singers for a shot at stardom. Arijit joined the show as a teenager with big dreams but found the journey far more turbulent than expected.
Contestants were eliminated based on votes from fans and fellow participants, a format that led to one of the show’s most emotional moments. During one episode, Arijit voted out his close friend and fellow contestant Shamit Tyagi, a decision that caused widespread controversy.
“Do relationships matter to you at all?”
Following the incident, Arijit was summoned by Ila Arun, the headmistress of the Gurukul, who confronted him about his choice. A visibly shaken Arijit broke down when Ila refused to let him touch her feet.
She told him, “If you sing beautifully but don’t act the part in your personal life, I can’t stand that. Main kaise baat karu (How do I even talk to you)? Do relationships matter to you at all? You have talked about so many relations here, and if I am just a teacher to you, do we not have a relationship beyond that? I used to think that people were wrong about you. Are you really the kind of person who will cut all ties when he makes it big?”
Referring to a conversation with lyricist and judge Javed Akhtar, Ila 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 nicely. If he becomes a star one day, he’ll treat us like smoke from his car).”
At this point, Arijit interrupted, saying he considered Ila to be like a mother to him. Ila then played a video of Shamit’s reaction after being voted out, showing the singer’s disbelief. Seeing the clip, Arijit broke down in tears and promised, as a 17-year-old, that if Shamit ever faced problems in his career, he would help him out.
A setback before success
Though Ila Arun later comforted Arijit and advised him to first become a good human being before focusing on music, the controversy changed public perception of the young singer. Soon after, Arijit was voted out of Fame Gurukul, finishing sixth in the competition.
Winners Qazi Touqeer and Ruprekha Banerjee took home a ₹1 crore Sony music contract and a Maruti Suzuki Alto. But Arijit’s story didn’t end there. A year later, he participated in 10 ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, a musical showdown featuring winners and top contestants from multiple reality shows and emerged the winner, bagging a ₹10 lakh cash prize and marked the first major milestone of his career.
From there began the journey that would turn Arijit into one of India’s most beloved playback singers, a journey that, for now, he says has reached its end.
