Pankaj Tripathi Supports Arijit Singh’s Decision to Quit Playback Singing, Calls Artists ‘Not Factory Products’

Maharashtra | 6 Feb 2026

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has expressed his support for singer Arijit Singh, who recently announced that he will no longer take new assignments as a playback vocalist. Speaking to NDTV, Pankaj highlighted the importance of slowing down and taking breaks for creative reinvention. "You need a break to reinvent yourself. It's important to take frequent breaks or slow down, as being an artist is a demanding job. Only then will an artist be able to do something new. We are not factory products," he said.

Pankaj elaborated on the pressures artists face, saying, "We aren't like those 1,000 copies of matchboxes that a factory produces every day. We are artists, not products... Bahut bhaag-daud hai (There's a lot of running around). Every actor has to struggle and sacrifice a lot to reach where they are today. You should be excited to go on set. And the motivation for that excitement keeps changing again and again." His remarks underline the challenges of sustaining creativity in demanding professions.

Arijit Singh’s decision to step away from playback singing took fans and industry peers by surprise. Last month, the singer shared a heartfelt note on Instagram, thanking his supporters and announcing the end of his journey in playback singing. "Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. 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.

Arijit began his career on the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005 and made his Hindi film debut with Phir Mohabbat from Murder 2 in 2011. He rose to fame with the hit song Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2 in 2013 and went on to deliver multiple chartbusters over the years, becoming one of India’s most beloved playback singers.

Pankaj Tripathi Backs Arijit Singh’s Break from Playback Singing: “We Are Artists, Not Factory Products”

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has openly supported singer Arijit Singh, who recently announced that he will stop taking new playback singing assignments. Speaking to NDTV, Pankaj said, "You need a break to reinvent yourself. It's important to take frequent breaks or slow down, as being an artist is a demanding job. Only then will an artist be able to do something new. We are not factory products."

Pankaj compared artists to factory-made items, explaining the pressures of the profession. "We aren't like those 1,000 copies of matchboxes that a factory produces every day. We are artists, not products... Bahut bhaag-daud hai (There's a lot of running around). Every actor has to struggle and sacrifice a lot to reach where they are today. You should be excited to go on set. And the motivation for that excitement keeps changing again and again."

Arijit Singh’s decision surprised fans and the music industry. In a heartfelt Instagram post, he wrote, "Hello, Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. 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."

Arijit started his career on the reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005 and debuted in Bollywood with Phir Mohabbat from Murder 2 in 2011. He became a household name with Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2 in 2013 and continued to deliver numerous hits, leaving a lasting mark on the Indian music industry.