Less than a week after Arijit Singh bid adieu to Bollywood singing, Hindi film industry’s “perfectionist” actor Aamir Khan made a surprise trip to his hometown Jiaganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal to meet the 38-year-old singer.
Khan landed in Kolkata on Sunday and, evading paparazzi, headed straight to Jiaganj by road, said sources. His visit was under wraps till he appeared at Singh’s residence late Sunday night dressed in a grey T-shirt, a black leather jacket, and olive-green trousers. Despite the low-key nature of the trip, word spread quickly through the neighbourhood.
On Monday, the two appeared on the roof of Arijit’s house to fly kites.
The two share a deep professional and personal bond dating back to the film Dangal. Known for hits like GilahriyaanTere Hawaale, Singh is often Aamir Khan’s first choice for his musical scores. Beyond cinema, the duo is known to bond over shared interests in chess and social work.
Both Khan and Arijit, however, remained silent regarding their meeting at the latter’s home.
On January 28, in a social media post, Arijit had announced that he would not be taking any new assignments as a playback vocalist from now on. “I am calling it off. It was a wonderful journey,” he had posted.
Singh had said that he would likely turn his focus to independent music and composition, which, he has long maintained, was his original calling.
While the Internet remains abuzz on what made him announce his “retirement”, Singh, during a light-hearted conversation in Jiaganj, reportedly said the “drama” might have been avoided had he written his post in Bengali, which would have attracted less response.
Meanwhile, Jiaganj was excited to see Khan amidst them.
“After Ed Sheeran’s recent visit, this was the biggest surprise,” said Roshan Dey, a resident of Jiaganj. “I rushed home to catch a glimpse. He (Khan) was heavily guarded by security, but I managed to see him for a moment from a neighbour’s house,” Dey added.
Ed Sheeran had visited the quiet town of Jiaganj in February last year to meet Arijit Singh. Sheeran was seen famously riding pillion on Arijit’s scooter through the dusty lanes from Phulmore to the banks of the Bhagirathi River. The visit, which Sheeran later described as a “pilgrimage of music,” included an hour-long boat ride at Shibtala Ghat and a stop at a local roadside shop to enjoy a traditional lassi. Beyond the sightseeing, the duo spent time in Arijit’s home studio, where Sheeran learned bits of the sitar and rehearsed Punjabi lyrics for their collaborative single, “Sapphire”.