After Arijit Singh, is Shreya Ghoshal planning a break from playback singing?

The Bollywood singer says the decision had crossed her mind, while applauding Arijit Singh for his 'brave decision' to take a step back

  • PUBLISHED: Tue 17 Mar 2026, 12:26 PM

Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal dropped a bombshell to the legions of her fans around the world, hinting that she has, on many occasions, considered taking a break from playback singing.

The singing sensation—who is the voice behind melodious hits such as Jaadu hai nashaa, Piyu bole and Teri ore, among countless others—in a recent interview applauded her peer Arijit Singh for quitting playback singing and pursuing what he loves.

"Sometimes, I feel like taking a break, too," Ghoshal told the Indian TV news channel ABP News. "He (Singh) has taken the decision bravely. Hats off to him."

She was responding to a question on Singh's decision and what it mean to her, as his peer.

When pressed further, Ghoshal described Singh as a dil-se musician, or a musician from the heart. "He doesn't think why he is doing this music or singing something, or how he will benefit from it," she said. "He does it because he likes it."

That, according to Ghoshal, is why audiences love Singh. "To him, music is bigger, more significant than anything else."

Arijit's break from Bollywood

In January, Singh announced on social media that he would no longer take on new assignments as a playback singer, drawing the curtains on what, he said, was a "wonderful" journey.

"I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey," he wrote.

The move shocked fans and celebrities alike, with Bollywood star Aamir Khan reportedly urging him to reconsider his decision.

Soon after, Singh, the voice behind the Bollywood soundtracks Tum Hi Ho, Raabta and Tose Naina, returned to the stage in Kolkata for classical music performance with the renowned sitar exponent Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar and the recipient of 14 Grammy nominations.

After the show ended, Singh thanked Shankar on Instagram, in his first post since quitting playback singing.