Mahesh Bhatt recalls Arijit Singh recording Tum Hi Ho for Aashiqui 2 after his retirement; ‘A shy, self-effacing young man...’

Two days after Arijit Singh announced that he is calling off playback singing, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has shared a deeply personal reflection on the singer’s journey, taking everyone back to the moment when a young Arijit first sang Tum Hi Ho during the making of Aashiqui 2.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Bhatt described Arijit’s decision as rare, brave, and deeply artistic — a conscious pause taken at the peak of success.

“Some artists choose silence over noise”

Reflecting on Arijit’s move, Bhatt said, “At the height of their powers, some artists step away — not from art but from noise. They choose silence, solitude, and truth over constant performance.”

The day Tum Hi Ho was born

Bhatt then took a trip down memory lane to the making of Aashiqui 2, which he had produced. Recalling his first encounter with Arijit, he said, “When I heard about Arijit's decision to stop singing for others, I was unexpectedly taken back to an afternoon at Super Sound Service in Khar — the old T-Series building — where the journey of Aashiqui 2 truly began.”

He added, “We were releasing the music, and Arijit was called to sing Tum Hi Ho.”

Describing the now-iconic moment, Bhatt said, “A shy, self-effacing young man walked up to the dais and sang a song that would quietly mesmerise the world.”

According to Bhatt, that single performance altered the course of Arijit’s life. “That moment became a springboard into a life that would never be the same again.”

Arijit Singh’s emotional farewell note

Earlier this week, Arijit Singh stunned fans by announcing that he will not be taking up any new playback singing assignments. In a heartfelt note to his listeners, he wrote, “Hello, Happy new year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much of love all these years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not gonna be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey.”

He later clarified on his private X account that the decision was not driven by one incident. “There is not one reason behind this, there are several reasons,” he wrote.



Arijit explained that creative boredom was one of the reasons behind his move. “I get bored pretty quick... I need to do some other music to live,” he said, adding that he is excited to hear new voices emerge.

Reassuring fans, Arijit said he is not stepping away from music. “I am going to go back to Indian classical music. I wanna go back to making music,” he shared, while confirming that he will complete his pending commitments.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”