Arijit Singh reveals the painful process behind creating his signature voice

Highlights

• Arijit Singh once said audiences initially rejected his voice
• The singer revealed he pushed himself physically to reshape his vocal texture
• Arijit rose to fame with Tum Hi Ho in 2013 and announced his retirement from playback singing earlier this year

Today, Arijit Singh is widely regarded as one of Bollywood’s most recognisable voices. But before songs such as Tum Hi Ho made him a household name, the singer says his voice was far from universally accepted.

As Arijit celebrates his birthday on 25 April, an older interview has resurfaced in which he spoke candidly about the pressure he faced early in his career and the extreme lengths he went to in order to transform his sound.

Why Arijit felt he needed to change his voice

Speaking on The Music Podcast, Arijit said people initially disliked the way he sang. He revealed that he felt forced to alter his natural voice and spent years working on creating a different texture that would be more commercially accepted.

The singer described the process as physically exhausting, saying he repeatedly practised until his voice felt strained. He compared it to sculpting his voice into something new.

Arijit admitted he “tortured” himself during that phase to change his vocal projection and strengthen his range.

The song that changed everything

That struggle eventually led to his breakthrough moment with Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2. The song became one of the biggest tracks of 2013 and transformed Arijit into one of the most sought-after playback singers in Hindi cinema.

He later delivered chart-toppers including Raabta, Kabira, Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse, Aaj Phir and Laal Ishq.

His retirement announcement surprised fans

Earlier this year, Arijit announced his retirement from playback singing through an Instagram statement. He thanked listeners for supporting him over the years and said he would no longer accept new playback assignments.

The announcement surprised fans, especially given his continued dominance in film music. His earlier comments now offer a reminder that the voice many listeners grew up with was once something he felt he had to rebuild from scratch.