Indian singer Shaan has revealed that he once contemplated walking away from playback singing, drawing a parallel between his experience and recent discussions surrounding Arijit Singh’s decision to step back from the field.
Arijit, one of the most prominent playback singers of contemporary Indian cinema, has recently been at the centre of speculation after reports of his decision to distance himself from playback work. The development prompted considerable discussion among listeners and followers on social media. For Shaan, however, such a decision is not difficult to understand. He has experienced a similar phase in his own career.
Shaan, whose real name is Shantanu Mukherjee, has remained a familiar voice in Indian popular music for decades. He rose to particular prominence for his smooth, melodic style and became associated with several widely loved Hindi film songs. His popular numbers include Chand Sifarish, Hey Shona, Jab Se Tere Naina and Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh.
Speaking in a recent interview, Shaan said he could relate to Arijit’s situation because he had once reached a point where he too considered giving up singing. He also suggested that Arijit’s decision should not necessarily be interpreted as a complete departure from music.
“It is not that he has completely stopped singing. He is still singing, and I think he will do a lot more playback in the future. The situation is not that extreme,” Shaan said.
Addressing speculation over why Arijit may have chosen to reduce his playback commitments, Shaan said the answer could ultimately come only from Arijit himself. At the same time, he pointed out that several songs already recorded by the singer have yet to be released.
According to Shaan, listeners could continue to hear new songs featuring Arijit’s voice over the coming years. He also left open the possibility that Arijit could eventually reconsider his decision.
“Who knows, perhaps he may change his decision,” Shaan said, stressing that such a choice is not necessarily permanent.
The discussion also prompted Shaan to look back at a turning point in his own career. He recalled that when he was around 33 or 34, he went through a strikingly similar period of uncertainty. By then, he felt that he had already explored a wide range of songs and had achieved considerable recognition, including winning two or three major awards.
Yet professional success did not completely settle the questions he was asking himself at the time. Shaan said he had developed a strong desire to become involved in social work and contribute to society in a more direct way.
He felt that having reached a certain stage in life, he should use some of his time and experience for causes beyond his professional career. The difficulty was finding that time. His workload continued to keep him occupied, leaving little room for the kind of social involvement he had imagined.
Shaan recalled feeling that he was caught in the same cycle of work repeatedly. That sense of being unable to move beyond a familiar professional routine eventually led him to consider whether he should stop singing altogether.
His recollection offers a different perspective on the uncertainty that can sometimes accompany a successful musical career. For singers who have spent years recording songs, performing and working within the demands of the film industry, stepping back can be about more than professional fatigue. It can also reflect a desire to reassess priorities and make space for other interests.
Shaan’s comments therefore place Arijit’s reported decision in a broader context. Rather than treating a temporary withdrawal as an irreversible end to a singing career, he sees it as something that can evolve with changing circumstances. For now, he expects Arijit’s unreleased recordings to keep reaching audiences, while leaving open the possibility that the singer may eventually return to a more active role in playback singing.
