The music world was left stunned when global superstar Arijit Singh announced his decision to take a break from playback singing. While fans were searching for reasons, Abhijeet Sawant, the country’s first reality show winner, has added fuel to the fire by exposing the deep-rooted politics and exploitation within Bollywood. According to Sawant, the lack of financial security and royalties for singers in India is pushing talents to the edge.

In a recent interview, Abhijeet pointed out that the industry is structured in a way that prevents singers from becoming bigger than the movie itself. He cited examples from abroad where artists live off royalties from just a couple of hits, whereas in India, singers struggle for their rightful share.

Sawant further blamed the singers’ desperation for fame, stating that many agree to sing for peanuts just to be associated with a big star’s film. This “low-pay” culture allows production houses to exploit artists, knowing someone else will do the job for less. This explosive revelation provides a grim context to Arijit Singh’s recent X post, where he mentioned gathered the “courage” to step away. The question remains: will the combined impact of Arijit’s exit and Sawant’s allegations finally force a change in Bollywood’s unfair music royalty system?