Arijit Singh surprises fans with live performance at Anoushka Shankar’s Kolkata concert

Weeks after announcing his retirement from playback singing, Arijit Singh surprised fans with an unannounced live performance at sitarist Anoushka Shankar’s concert in Kolkata, joining her and tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh on stage to render Pandit Ravi Shankar’s composition “Maya bhora raati”.The special performance took place at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, where Arijit made a quiet entry to loud applause from the audience. Before taking the stage, the singer said he felt nervous about performing live, adding to the emotional weight of the evening for fans who had recently been taken aback by his retirement announcement.

Anoushka Shankar later shared a clip from the performance on Instagram, expressing her joy at the collaboration. “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,” she wrote.Tabla maestro Bickram Ghosh, who also featured in the concert, praised Arijit’s humility and reverence for senior musicians. In an Instagram post, Ghosh recalled being invited by Anoushka Shankar for the Kolkata show and performing Pandit Ravi Shankar’s composition *“Fire Night.” He described Arijit’s rendition of “Maya bhora raati” as enthralling and said the singer’s respect for seniors was exemplary, highlighting his grace and humility.
Ghosh also lauded Anoushka Shankar’s growth as an artist, calling the concert a fantastic showcase of her maturity as both a sitar player and composer, marked by her “disarming charm.”The Kolkata appearance appeared to be a gesture of reciprocity, as Anoushka Shankar had earlier made a surprise appearance at Arijit Singh’s North London concert in September last year.On January 27, Arijit had announced his decision to retire from playback singing, stating that he would not take on any new assignments as a “playback vocalist.” “It was a wonderful journey,” he wrote, thanking listeners for years of support.His unexpected performance in Kolkata has offered a glimpse into the musical path he may now be choosing—one focused on live, collaborative and classical-rooted performances, free from the pressures of commercial music-making in Mumbai.