New Delhi: Arijit Singh treated his Kolkata fans to a pleasant surprise on 8 February when he joined sitarist Anoushka Shankar in a concert at Netaji Indoor Stadium. This was his first public performance since he announced his exit from playback singing on 27 January.
Shankar, a British-American sitarist and music composer, is currently in India for her Chapters Tour. Singh stepped onto the stage dressed in a kurta and jacket. “I am very nervous. Thank you for having me,” he said as Shankar introduced him.
Singh first sang Maya Bhora Raati with Shankar and percussionist Bickram Ghosh. The Bengali classic was originally sung by Lakshmi Shankar and composed by Anoushka Shankar’s father, sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Singh shared that he had recently visited Anoushka at her home, where they spent time composing music together.
Singh also performed a soulful duet with Shankar on Traces of You, a track she co-created with American singer Norah Jones. He strummed on his guitar, accompanying Shankar on the sitar, and hugged her after a rousing cheer to the duet.
Shankar shared a clip from the musical evening on her Instagram.
“So much more to say later, but for now, my heart!!!! Hearing the one and only @arijitsingh bringing my father’s rarely heard Bengali song to life and then sharing our new music with Kolkata was truly one for the books,” read the caption.
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The duo’s London concert
In September 2025, Shankar had joined Singh for his concert in the UK. Singh created a record by being the first-ever Indian artist to headline and sell out a UK stadium.
“Playing alongside Arijit Singh sharing some of the music we created together years ago and feeling it come alive in front of so many people, was truly special. The energy, the roar of the crowd, the joy of finally bringing these songs into the world… unforgettable,” wrote Shnakra in an Instagram post after the performance.
The duo performed in front of a 50,000-strong crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Thanks to Arijit, who, aside from being a megastar and a legendary talent, is also the kindest and most humble human. It was so lovely to make some music with you again and I can’t wait for more!” Shankar added.
On 27 January, Singh announced on his social media handles that he won’t be taking on new assignments as a playback singer.
“I want to thank you all for giving me so much love all these years as listeners. I am 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,” the singer wrote.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)