Arijit Singh, who is celebrating his 35th birthday today, has made a name for himself in the world of singing. It’s hard to imagine a film without his voice in it. In 2005, at the age of 18, he participated in the reality show Fame Gurukul but he did not win it, despite receiving appreciation. He finished sixth, and Qazi Touqeer and Ruprekha Banerjee won the show, which had Javed Akhtar, Shankar Mahadevan and KK on the panel.

During his Fame Gurukul stint, Sanjay Leela Bhansali noticed Arijit Singh and promised to work with him. He was asked to sing “Yoon Shabnami” from Saawariya; however, his version never made it to the film.

He participated in yet another reality show 10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil, which was a musical face-off between contestants of Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol. He managed to win 10 Ke 10 Le Gaye Dil and then decided to set up his own studio with the prize money of Rs 10 lakh.

Arijit made his playback singing debut with the Murder 2 song “Phir Mohabbat” in 2011. However, the audience realised he was here to stay when he sang “Tum Hi Ho“ from Aashiqui 2. Since then, there has been no looking back for him.

The singer seems to be slowly shifting base to his birthplace – Jiaganj, a small town on the east bank of the Bhagirathi river in Bengal’s Murshidabad district. According to The Times of India, Arijit told his close friend, Indraadip Das Gupta, “Mumbai is part of my journey. I work there and it has made me who I am today. But my heart and soul lie in Jiaganj, my birthplace. What I felt after speaking to him was that he will ultimately settle in Jiaganj and the process has already started.” As per reports, he travels to Mumbai only for specific professional assignments and sources say.

He is one of the most sought-after singers in Bollywood right now with hits such as “Dilliwali Girlfriend,” “Kabira,” “Samjhawan,” “Channa Mereya,” Nashe Si Chadh Gayi” to his credit. According to Forbes, he is one of the highest-paid singers in the industry, with earnings of Rs 71.95 crore from films and concerts in 2019.

Last year, the singer saw a high point in his career, when he won the National Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Padmaavat song “Binte Dil.”