Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 28: The music fraternity has been left stunned by Arijit Singh’s announcement that he is stepping away from playback singing, a decision that has sparked widespread discussion across the industry. Amid the shock and speculation, singer-composer Sona Mohapatra has described the move as courageous, generous, and disruptive in the most meaningful way.

Taking to Instagram, Sona shared a heartfelt and reflective note addressed to Arijit and the country, speaking from her own experience of independently creating and releasing music over the years. She called the journey exhausting yet deeply fulfilling, and suggested that Arijit’s decision represents not an ending, but a powerful shift.

“Stepping away from playback singing feels less like an exit and more like an arrival,” she wrote, framing the move as a step toward creative freedom, authorship, and limitless possibility. According to Sona, such freedom lies at the very core of artistic expression.

Without speculating on Arijit’s personal reasons, she stressed that the choice itself is what truly matters. She noted that few, if any, before him had imagined taking such a path—one that prioritises personal exploration and the freedom to create and sing on one’s own terms. In her view, the decision opens space not just for Arijit’s evolution as an artist, but also for a healthier creative ecosystem.

Sona also used the moment to critique long-standing industry practices, pointing out how a handful of voices are repeatedly used while emerging talent is sidelined. She highlighted issues such as unpaid demo singers, delayed or denied payments to established artists, and the industry’s dependence on “zero-risk formulas” that stifle diversity and creativity. According to her, this cycle exhausts composers, limits experimentation, and keeps exploitative systems intact simply because they are convenient.

Ending her note on a hopeful note, Sona expressed excitement about the artist Arijit is poised to become, anticipating a wave of original music shaped entirely by his own voice, vision, and choices.