The music industry is still processing the shock after Arijit Singh announced that he is stepping away from playback singing. The singer’s decision shared quietly but firmly left fans stunned and colleagues emotional. Among the many voices reacting to the news filmmaker and composer Vishal Bhardwaj’s response stood out for its raw honesty and heartbreak. Vishal Bhardwaj’s emotional reaction Vishal Bhardwaj took to social media to express his disbelief calling Arijit’s decision not just shocking but deeply unfair. In an emotional note he wrote “Hey Arijit… Till a few days back while we were jamming on this song (you were shooting the video) I didn’t know that this would be one of the last film songs with you. This is unfair… #TakeBackYourSanyaas. It’s unacceptable.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vishal Bhardwaj (@vishalrbhardwaj) The post was accompanied by a video that showed Vishal seated in a warm home-like setting singing the song with visible emotion. According to his caption the track is from his upcoming film O Romeo and the video was recorded by Arijit himself on his phone. Given their history of meaningful collaborations the moment felt less like a post and more like a personal plea. Arijit Singh announces his decision Arijit Singh announced on January 27 thanking listeners for their unwavering love over the years. In his message he wrote “Hello Happy New Year to all. I want to thank you all for giving me so much love over the years as listeners. I am happy to announce that I am not going to be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey.” The simplicity of the statement only added to the impact leaving fans with more questions than answers. Music industry responds Soon after the announcement reactions poured in from across the film and music world. Shreya Ghoshal called it the beginning of a “new phase” and urged people not to treat it as an end. Armaan Malik Amaal Mallik B Praak and Badshah shared heartfelt messages thanking Arijit for shaping an entire generation’s relationship with film music. Veteran singer Udit Narayan said Arijit’s voice will always live on through his songs. Vishal Dadlani spoke about the courage it takes to step away at the peak while Mahesh Bhatt described the move as choosing silence over noise not art. Whether this retirement is final or not one thing is clear Arijit Singh’s absence from playback singing has left a void the industry isn’t ready to accept just yet.