Lucky Ali
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: Something must have snapped within him that forced Arijit Singh to take a stand, says musician Lucky Ali about the popular singer's decision to retire from playback music right at the peak of his career.
Ali, who has forged an independent path himself, said he fully supports Singh's decision to express himself outside of the constraints imposed by the music industry.
"You've got to go stand in the musician's shoes to understand what he's really feeling. And if he's taken a step to that effect, something must have snapped within him. I totally agree with Arijit when he made the stand. And it's not a loss.
"He's definitely going to sing and he's going to express himself, but he's not going to do it with the circumstances that were there before. You've got to make your own road like how we've done; we made our own road," Ali told PTI in a virtual interview.
Singh surprised his fans by announcing his retirement through an Instagram post last month.
"Hello. Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I'm happy to announce that I am not going to take any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it quits. It was a wonderful journey," Singh wrote on January 27.
Ali, known for chartbusters like "O Sanam", "Ek Pal Ka Jeena", and "Na Tum Jano Na Hum", has come up with his new single, the romantic track, "Tu Jaane Hai Kahan", which has been written by Kausar Munir and released under the Tips Music banner.
"Now, we're not dependent on any film or music company or anything, we are the company. So, basically, it's a lot of freedom to be able to express yourself and explore your journey with other like-minded people," he said.
Singh's retirement sparked a lot of speculation around what could have led him to make the decision.
Reflecting on his own journey, Ali said every newcomer has to confront challenges.
"Nothing is offered to you on a plate; you have to present your case in the best way possible and be convinced about what you're doing. Once you do that and once you've crossed that hurdle, it's a bit easier. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the road is easy. It's easier to just go ahead and then do more work in that sense," the 67-year-old singer-songwriter said.
"Life doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. An easy life is not a good life. There should be drama in it, there should be struggle in it, there should be a lot of things and those are elements that come into your work. In my case, that's probably what's come out in a lot of the work that I've done," Ali said.
The music for "Tu Jaane Hai Kahan" is composed by Mikey McCleary and Suraj Gulvadi.