Sona Mohapatra calls Arijit Singh’s retirement disruptive and necessary.
Arijit Singh’s playback exit sparks debate on industry exploitation.
Singer highlights shift towards original music and artistic freedom.
As reactions continue to pour in, singer-songwriter Sona Mohapatra has shared a thoughtful response, calling the move “disruptive in the best way” and a turning point for artistic freedom. Her comments arrive amid growing conversations around authorship, originality and systemic issues within the playback ecosystem.
Why Sona Mohapatra sees Arijit Singh’s decision as necessary
Taking to Instagram, Sona posted a long note addressed to Arijit Singh and the country, reflecting on her own journey of releasing independent music year after year. She described the path as exhausting but deeply fulfilling, framing Arijit’s decision not as a retreat, but as an arrival into freedom. According to her, stepping away from playback allows an artist to reclaim authorship, choice and possibility.
Sona was clear that she does not want to speculate on Arijit Singh’s reasons for retiring from playback singing. Instead, she focused on the significance of the choice itself. She pointed out that none of his predecessors could have imagined a path where an artist voluntarily steps aside to create space, both for themselves and for others.
She also highlighted long-standing issues in the industry, including the overuse of a single voice, the lack of payment for demo singers and the exploitative cycles that prioritise convenience over creativity. In her view, Arijit Singh quitting playback challenges the industry’s zero-risk formulas and opens doors for new voices that have long been sidelined.
A shift towards original music and new possibilities
Sona Mohapatra expressed excitement about the artist Arijit Singh could become in this next phase, particularly with a focus on original music outside the film ecosystem. She ended her note by celebrating artists who choose freedom over fear, calling it the way new eras truly begin.
