Arijit Singh’s decision to step away from playback singing has reignited discussion around one of Bollywood’s most talked-about industry rifts– his long-rumoured fallout with superstar Salman Khan. The controversy dates back to the early years of Singh’s career and allegedly resulted in his songs being dropped from several Salman Khan films, before a quiet reconciliation that followed years later.

From breakout singer to overnight sensation

Singh began his playback career with “Phir Mohabbat” from Murder 2, but rose to overnight fame with “Tum Hi Ho” from the 2013 blockbuster Aashiqui 2. The song turned him into Bollywood’s most sought-after voice, followed by hits such as “Mast Magan”, “Muskurane”, “Humdard” and “Aaj Phir”, firmly establishing his place in the industry.

The awards show moment that sparked the fallout

The tension reportedly began at an awards ceremony in 2014, hosted by Salman Khan, where Singh was invited on stage to receive the Best Playback Singer (Male) award for “Tum Hi Ho”.

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Dressed casually in a shirt and flip-flops, Singh appeared visibly tired. Khan jokingly asked, “So gaye the?” (Did you fall asleep?), to which Singh replied, “You put people to sleep.” (You people bored me to sleep).

The exchange was widely reported to have upset Khan. What followed was years of perceived professional distance, with Singh’s songs allegedly being removed from Khan’s films Kick (2014), Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Sultan (2016). For Sultan, Singh’s version of “Jag Ghoomeya” was replaced by one sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Apology, silence, and eventual reconciliation

In the aftermath, Singh shared, and later deleted, a public apology to Khan on social media, insisting he never intended to insult the actor and requesting that at least one version of his song be retained in Sultan. Khan, however, remained silent on the issue for years.

“This is the last way I thought I would speak to you. I have been trying to text you call you and do everything possible to tell you that you are mistaken about the fact that I insulted you. I never did. That night in the show it was the wrong time and wrong aura. Nevertheless you felt insulted. And I understood and I felt extremely sorry about it as me and my family have been your fan since long. I tried to explain so many times but you never got it. I apologized but you never got it. How many times I sent you apology texts you also know,” Arijit wrote on a post, which was eventually deleted.

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Signs of a thaw emerged in 2023 when Singh sang “Ruaan” and “Leke Prabhu Ka Naam” for Tiger 3, both of which were prominently promoted. Khan finally addressed the episode on Bigg Boss 19 last year, acknowledging that the misunderstanding was from his side and confirming that the two had since reconciled.

Singh has most recently sung the patriotic track “Maatrubhumi” for Khan’s upcoming film Battle of Galwan.