What began as a setback reshaped my life and my art: Arjun Kanungo

When singer-songwriter Arjun Kanungo fractured his hip in 2023, his fast-paced life came to a sudden standstill. Nearly a year of physical therapy followed, marked by slow progress. “The first year was undeniably difficult,” Arjun recalls. But what began as a setback has since reshaped his life and art. “I’m in the best physical shape now,” he says.Over the past two years, the singer has stepped away from the public eye —but not from his craft. “I’ve spent a lot of time working on my singing and songwriting so that when I return, I have something more meaningful to offer,” he shares. For him, authenticity in music is inseparable from lived experience. “Artistes can’t tell stories they haven’t lived. Levelling up my mind, body and perspective has been essential.” Behind the scenes, his output remained prolific. He collaborated with over 50 writers and composers across the world, contributing to more than 250 songs during this period. “While I have been intentionally out of the public eye, the work has not stopped,” he says.‘The last couple of years have been deeply experimental’He describes 2025 as a year of reset — physically, mentally, and creatively. “What’s coming in 2026 is far more focused and aligned. I’m taking my time, but I’m building towards something significant,” says Arjun, who marked his first foray into Marathi music with the web series Ekaki. “The last couple of years have been deeply experimental for me, across languages, genres, and soundscapes. Marathi music was an unexplored space, and I felt this was the right opportunity to try something entirely new.”