Popular singer Arijit Singh recently announced that he will no longer work as a playback singer. His decision has once again brought attention to how singers are paid in the film industry. Many wonder why top singers leave and what happens to lesser-known artists who have less influence.
The discussion grew after singer Abhijeet Sawant spoke about the issue. He shared his thoughts on whether playback singers are paid fairly and recognized for their work.
During an interview on Pentarise Studios' YouTube channel, Abhijeet said, “People don’t want singers to become bigger than the film. That is why they are paid a fixed amount. Singers don’t get royalties for film songs. For example, Biddu worked on ‘Lafzon Mein’ and also made a few songs in the West. He earns enough royalties from those songs to live comfortably. We don’t even get enough to live on.”
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He added, “The system is made this way. Singers want opportunities and hope a hit song with a big star will help their career. We accept the money we get, because if we don’t, someone else will. Singers are often exploited.”
On January 27, Arijit shared on social media that he will stop taking new playback songs. He wrote, “Hello, Happy New Year to all. Thank you for your love over the years. I will not take any new playback assignments. It was a wonderful journey.”
His announcement came days after he released ‘Maatrubhumi’, a song recorded with Shreya Ghoshal for Salman Khan’s upcoming film ‘Battle of Galwan’.
#With inputs from NDTV