From collaborating with global sensations like Ed Sheeran to Martin Garrix, Arijit Singh has always been in the limelight, not just for his songs but also for his humble lifestyle. However, Indian playback singer and a current Cabinet Minister of the Government of West Bengal, Babul Supriyo, found himself baffled by Arijit's latest demand. 

In an ambitious project, a Mumbai-based audio company is translating six Rabindra Sangeet into Hindi. Renowned Bollywood lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya is translating the songs, and Babul Supriyo is overseeing the project.

Photo: Collected

Ranjan Banerjee shared some insights about the songs, explaining where and when they were originally written. The singers lined up for this album include Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Madhubanti Bagchi, and Babul Supriyo himself. Arijit Singh was initially supposed to lend his voice to two songs: one solo and one duet. However, the fee his manager requested for these songs left Babul in shock.

Arijit Singh's manager quoted an astronomical Rs 1.5 crore per song. This figure left Babul Supriyo stunned. Speaking to West Bengal's popular media outlet, Anandabazar Patrika, Babul said, "The main goal of this project is to preserve and maintain the tradition of Rabindra Sangeet. It's not a commercial venture. To hear that Arijit is asking for such a huge sum for each song left me truly astonished."

Babul further added that all the other artistes are working for much lower fees, expressing his surprise at Arijit's demand. He commented, "We know Arijit leads a simple life. That's what we've always seen. But I'm struggling to reconcile that image with this staggering fee." 

Photo: Collected

"Just last week, we wrapped up recording Shreya, Madhubanti, and Shaan's songs. Amitabh Bhattacharya has done the lyrics. We wanted to keep the essence of the original songs intact. I can't imagine these songs without Arijit's voice, and that's why this situation is so surprising to me."

Arijit Singh has not made any official comments on the matter yet.

Read more

Jaya Ahsan continues to make an impact