Amid rumours of Arijit Singh stepping into film direction, Anurag Basu says the singer wanted to assist him on Barfi: ‘Not at all surprised’

It’s hard to imagine Arijit Singh without the music maestro Pritam. The duo has consistently delivered chartbusters, and without a doubt, their finest collaboration came when they worked together on an Anurag Basu film. Now, with Arijit announcing his retirement from playback singing, fans are bound to deeply miss this musical trio, which has always created magic for the ears. Since the announcement, social media has been abuzz with speculation about what Arijit’s next move might be. Netizens on Reddit and other platforms are contemplating whether the singer might step into film direction.

However, there has been no confirmation from Arijit himself. But Anurag, in a recent chat with BBC Hindi, noted that the singer has always been inclined to explore life behind the camera. “The world was in shock after learning about Arijit Singh’s decision, but I was not at all surprised or shocked. I have known him for a long time and feel he is very talented and wishes to do more apart from singing,” Basu said. He further recalled an anecdote from the sets of Barfi!, revealing that Arijit had once expressed interest in assisting him on set. “He asked me to make him an assistant in Barfi!”

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Arijit Singh announced his retirement early this week. Taking to his private X account, he addressed his decision, emphasizing that it was not an impulsive choice. “There is not one reason behind this, there are several reasons, plus I have been trying to do this for a long time. Finally, I have gathered the right courage,” he wrote.

Opening up about his creative restlessness, Arijit candidly explained his need for change. “One of the reasons is simple, I get bored pretty quick, that’s why I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and perform them on stage. So here is the thing: I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.”

The singer also expressed a desire to make space for fresh voices in the industry, suggesting that his decision is as much about the future of Hindi film music as it is about his personal journey. “Another reason is I am excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation,” he added.