I was very popular, but he wasn't: Abhijeet Sawant compares journey to Arijit Singh

Abhijeet Sawant has spoken about the different paths his career and Arijit Singh’s took after both appeared on reality television in 2005, saying their visibility, journeys and the pressures they faced were not the same. While Abhijeet became a household name after winning Indian Idol Season 1, he said Arijit stayed away from the limelight for years, working in music studios before emerging as one of the country’s best-known playback singers.

His remarks come at a time when Arijit’s place in film music is under renewed attention after his decision to stop taking new playback assignments. Abhijeet said the contrast between their early careers was sharp, with him becoming instantly recognisable and Arijit rebuilding himself away from public attention.

In an interview with FilmyGyan, Abhijeet said, “After 2005, Arijit stayed away from the limelight. For at least 10 years, call it a blessing in disguise, he went to the music studios and he worked with all the major music composers, not as a singer but as a producer, as a programmer,” he said.

Abhijeet said he, meanwhile, became a national name after winning Indian Idol in 2005. He won Rs 1 crore and got an album deal with Sony, while Arijit returned to working in music studios and spent years building experience away from the spotlight. “He went back to the basics and he started his journey again and no one knew him back then,” Abhijeet added.

He said the difference in popularity also meant that the pressure on the two singers was very different. According to Abhijeet, he was already being recognised by audiences, while Arijit was quietly working with musicians and composers and waiting for his chance as a singer.

“If you compare him and me at that time, I was very popular, but he wasn't. So the kind of pressure that I faced was very different than the pressure that he was facing. He worked a lot for those 10 years, and worked a lot with musicians and then he got his first big song,” he said.The breakthrough song

Abhijeet said Arijit’s rise with Aashiqui 2 was also about timing and destiny. He noted that Arijit had already sung Dil Sambhal Ja Zara in Murder 2, but said it was Tum Hi Ho that turned him into a major playback star. “Tum Hi Ho made Arijit 'Arijit Singh' and that song landing in the lap of any singer It was all about destiny,” he said.

He also spoke about how success shapes public perception, saying audiences often praise those who are already successful and keep finding flaws in those they know less about, even though every artist has a separate journey. “It is a flaw with the audience that we keep praising the one who is successful, but the ones we don't know much about, we keep finding flaws in them. That's not all. Everyone has their own journey. Everyone is trying their best to work, live their life. Let them,” he said.Decision to quit playback singing

More recently, music producer Amaal Mallik said Arijit’s decision to sing Yeh Awarapan for Awarapan 2 was driven by his connection with the song and not by pressure, persuasion or any prior deal. Amaal also said people who had worked with Arijit had understood one or two years before his public announcement that he had become uninterested in that kind of film music.

According to Amaal, Yeh Awarapan was not an old recording that was simply released later. He said the song remained in his own voice for nearly a year before Arijit heard it and chose to sing it. Amaal added that he and Arijit often play music to each other and work on the songs that connect with him. He also said he does not see Yeh Awarapan as a definite comeback or farewell, and that he would be happy to hear Arijit sing again if another song speaks to him in the future. Amaal said Arijit has stepped away from film music, not from music itself.

Awarapan 2 stars Emraan Hashmi, Disha Patani, Shabana Azmi, Surendar Vicky, Vijayant Kohli and Atul Kumar in key roles. The film is produced by Vishesh Bhatt, directed by Nitin Kakkar and written by Bilal Siddiqui, and is scheduled to release in theatres on August 14, 2026.

On January 27, Arijit announced on social media that he would not take any new assignments as a playback vocalist.- EndsALSO READ | Arijit Singh has a reason to watch Bigg Boss, and it's for rockstar Qazi Touqeer