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Accha chalta hoon: Like the Penguin, Arijit Singh chose to walk away!

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Sakshi Sharma
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Arijit Singh

It became our very own Penguin moment when an artist like Arijit Singh chose peace over playback. But what happens when the voice that held us together steps away? Let’s dissect!

Just a few days back, we were all busy talking about a certain penguin who walked away towards the mountains. A short clip from an old documentary resurfaced online, and suddenly people had endless notions about burnout, loneliness, and choosing a path less taken. Penguins, after all, are creatures that live in colonies. And yet, this particular one chose to walk away. To walk into the unknown snowy mountains - a path nobody chose. Maybe a walk that symbolizes "accha chalta hoon, duaon mein yaad rakhna." But who would've thought that we would find our own penguin in singer and songwriter Arijit Singh?

In an Instagram post last evening, the voice that has become the soul of the country, announced that he is taking a step back from playback singing. And in that moment, every heart that has ever found its rhythm in his music, skipped a beat. Gone might be the days when emotion automatically meant Singh’s voice. But there is hope. Perhaps we might get to listen to his voice in indie music, or through his label Oriyon, which he has been quietly building on the side.

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His post was cryptic enough and the lack of any follow-up explanation set social media ablaze with theories of its own. Much like the penguin’s walk was dissected endlessly, from deeply emotional takes of relatability to philosophical interpretations of walking away, similarly, Singh’s announcement left everyone speculating. When you don’t understand why someone is choosing a different route, you try your best to make sense of it. So here we are! There are those mourning the silence of a voice that once made their feelings feel seen and heard. And also those closer to the industry - people who are well versed with the music business, suggesting that this decision might stem from years of exploitation in the Bollywood industry. A system that overworked him, forced him into projects that didn’t align with his artistic instincts. His earlier discomfort with rehashed versions of songs, only strengthened these assumptions. One thing, however, is undeniable that it hurts to see such a soulful voice walk away. Someone who helped us meet our rooh, who became a constant presence in almost every film, every heartbreak and every long night of self-reflection. His voice would arrive to save us, no matter how the film itself turned out.

And yet, this doesn’t mean we cannot honour his decision. Because this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a great artist step away from the spotlight. Earlier, Vikrant Massey chose to pause after the monumental success of 12th Fail. More recently, Zakir Khan announced his own break. Maybe artists who make us feel so deeply, who force us to sit with our hidden emotions, stir us, shake us and wake us up, also need time to feel for themselves. Because feeling too much can be overwhelming in a world that celebrates fame but forgets how fickle it truly is.

Maybe all we can do right now is bow our heads in gratitude to this magician! Thank you for your voice and more importantly, thank you for making us feel alive. Today, we find ourselves turning to your songs yet again - seeking comfort from the very voice whose absence now aches. Your legacy will live on forever with us. And as we bid you farewell from playback, for now, all we can think of is -

“Mehfil mein teri hum na rahe toh gham toh nahi,
Qisse humare nazdeekiyon ke kam toh nahi…
Itni dafa subah ko meri tere aangan mein baithe,
Maine shaam kiya…"

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