Arijit Singh

Arijit Singh was born on April 25, 1987, in Jiaganj, Murshidabad, West Bengal. He began his musical journey at a young age, receiving training in Indian classical music from Rajendra Prasad Hazari, tabla lessons from Dhirendra Prasad Hazari, and Rabindra Sangeet and pop music from Birendra Prasad Hazari. His maternal aunt was also trained in Indian classical music, and his maternal grandmother was a singer, while his maternal uncle played the tabla. Singh’s formal education includes Raja Bijay Singh High School and Sripat Singh College, affiliated with the University of Kalyani. His parents supported his musical aspirations from an early age, enrolling him in professional training. He developed appreciation for various musical styles, including Mozart, Beethoven, and Modern Bengali music, and drew inspiration from musicians like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Rashid Khan, along with popular singers such as Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey.

Singh’s professional career began in 2005 with the reality show “Fame Gurukul,” where he was a top six contestant. Though he did not win, his talent was recognized by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He later won another reality show, “10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil.” In 2006, he relocated to Mumbai, using his prize money to establish his own recording studio. He worked as a music programmer and producer for prominent music directors like Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Vishal–Shekhar, Mithoon, Monty Sharma, and Pritam, where he honed his skills in vocal supervision, chorus arrangement, and music production. His Bollywood debut came in 2011 with the Mithoon-composed song “Phir Mohabbat” from “Murder 2,” originally recorded in 2009.

His breakthrough moment arrived in 2013 with the release of “Tum Hi Ho” from the film “Aashiqui 2.” This song brought him widespread recognition and earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer. He continued to collaborate with Pritam on popular songs like “Dilliwaali Girlfriend,” “Kabira,” and “Ilahi” from “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.” In the Telugu film industry, his three songs from “Swamy Ra Ra” also gained popularity. Singh expanded his collaborations with other composers, including Sharib–Toshi for “Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse” and Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the semi-classical number “Laal Ishq.” His consistent success and versatile vocal performances across various genres established him as a leading figure in contemporary Hindi film music.