After Arijit Singh’s Retirement, Abhijeet Sawant Reveals Singers Are Often Forced to Work for Free

India’s first Indian Idol winner, Abhijeet Sawant, has opened up about the challenging conditions faced by playback singers in the film industry. Following Arijit Singh’s recent announcement to retire from playback singing, Sawant highlighted that singers are often pressured to perform for free and rarely receive fair compensation for their work.

Singers Struggle to Earn a Livelihood
In a recent interview with Pentarise Studios, 44-year-old Abhijeet Sawant spoke about how the industry limits singers’ earnings. He said,
“People don’t want singers to become too big from a film. So, they are paid a fixed amount. Musicians still do not get royalties for their work in films.”

He added,
“Take Biddu, for example, who worked on the song ‘Lafzon Mein Keh Na Sakoon’ and other tracks in the West. The royalties he earns from just two songs can sustain him for life. We, on the other hand, do not even earn enough to run our daily lives.”

Industry Exploitation and Compromises
Sawant further revealed,
“Often, we accept whatever payment we are offered because if we refuse, someone else will take the opportunity. The exploitation is very high. Singers themselves are sometimes opportunistic—they know that if a song releases with their voice and a big star lip-syncs it, it can be used forever. Sometimes, singers don’t even ask for money—they just want to sing or work with a particular producer.”

Royalties Still Rare for Most Singers
Abhijeet also referenced Biddu, the British-Indian composer and songwriter who produced international hits like Kung Fu Fighting and the Pakistani album Disco Deewane. Biddu revealed in a 2011 interview that he continues to earn £60,000–70,000 per month in royalties, equivalent to ₹74–84 lakh today—something most Indian singers cannot hope to receive from a handful of film songs.

Amal Malik Also Raises Concerns
This comes at a time when other musicians, including Amal Malik, have voiced similar concerns. Malik described how he had to fight to have the song Mere Dholna 3.0 sung by Sonu Nigam because film marketing teams often control key decisions. He highlighted both the low pay and the lack of royalty payments in the industry.

Arijit Singh’s Retirement Sparks Debate
The debate gained momentum after Arijit Singh announced his retirement from playback singing on 27 January. In a social media post, he wrote,
“Hello everyone, wishing you a Happy New Year. Thank you for all the love over the years. I will no longer take assignments as a playback singer. This chapter has ended, but it has been an incredible journey. I am not stepping away from music, but I will explore different genres and work on my own songs.”

Following this announcement, Singh’s song Ishq Ka Fever from the film Oh Romeo was released, marking the first of several pre-recorded film tracks that will come out despite his retirement from playback singing.