Jhoome jo Pathaan
Film: Pathaan
This pulsating number with the signature step which went viral as soon as the song dropped wouldn’t have been half as impactful if Arijit’s powerful vocals hadn’t backed Shah Rukh Khan’s powerful presence on screen. This January number, composed by Vishal-Shekhar, still remains somewhere at the top of the charts. Arijit’s energy hits different every time he sings: Tumne mohabbat karni hai/ Humne mohabbat ki hai/ Iss dil ke alawa kisi se bhi/ Na humne ijaazat li hain.
O bedardaya
Film: Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
A Pritam album with words by Amitabh Bhattacharya will invariably have a song or two by Arijit Singh. This bestselling album had three. While Arijit aced the romantic Tere pyaar mein and the playful Pyaar hota kayi baar hain in the way he always does, it was the poignantly beautiful O bedardaya — a song that broke the heart and healed it in equal measure — that truly stood out. It is only Arijit who can make one truly embrace and feel lyrics like Aye sitamgar tu zara/ Aur sitam karde aa/ Aaja bewajah sa yeh rishta khatam karde aa. For many, O bedardaya became the new heartbreak anthem after Channa mereya, also sung by Arijit. Coincidentally, both songs are picturised on Ranbir Kapoor.
Mera aasmaan jal gaya
Film: Ponniyin
Selvan II
A.R. Rahman conjured a magical album in Ponniyin Selvan II with a mix of Hindustani and Carnatic roots adding to the top-notch quality of every song. Arijit, of course, shone in Mera aasmaan jal gaya, a soulful and striking number written by Gulzar and picturised on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Chiyaan Vikram. The singer relied on the strength of the versatility of his voice, shifting easily between the softer and the pacier parts of the beautifully rendered number which spoke of love lost and found and lost once more.
Jai Shri Ram
Film: Adipurush
Probably the only redeeming feature of this disastrous film was Arijit’s rendition of Jai Shri Ram, which immediately stood out from the other versions used in Adipurush because it had no chorus section. Arijit’s sonorous voice gave Jai Shri Ram a different edge, proving that the man has the capability to make any song his own.
Pasoori nu
Film: Satyaprem Ki Katha
The news of the Ali Sethi classic being reworked in Bollywood for this Kartik Aaryan-Kiara Advani love story came as a shocker, with many terming it blasphemous. But Arijit’s voice was the only balm that could soothe the naysayers... and that’s precisely what happened. Pasoori nu in Arijit’s voice acquired a different vibe and energy and reminded one of the Arijit we have loved in songs like Ilahi and Atak gaya.
Tum kya mile
Film: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
“Arijit Singh is not a singer, but an emotion.” This is perhaps the most common statement that one will come across in the comments section of every Arijit song on YouTube. Nowhere is that more evident than in this Pritam-scored number where Arijit (Shreya Ghoshal for company) brings alive the romance between Rocky (Ranveer Singh) and Rani (Alia Bhatt) in the snowy climes of Kashmir with this old-school romantic number which instantly reminds one of the classics and makes for great repeat listening. The Karan Johar film’s soulful Ve kamleya also belongs to Arijit.
Dil jhoom
Film: Gadar 2
While most of the songs in Gadar 2 are a repeat or reworking of the Gadar album, Dil Jhoom — a lilting number which talks about the freshness of first love — makes a mark, specifically for the playful manner in which Arijit brings it alive, making us all hark back to the time when we experienced love for the first time.
Chaleya
Film: Jawan
The King of Romance is back! And who better to bring back Shah Rukh Khan in all his romantic glory — outstretched arms and all — than the melodic vocals of Arijit Singh? Chaleya, with SRK romancing Nayanthara, is well on its way to becoming the love anthem of the season. And Arijit with Shilpa Rao anyway always spells magic. We have seen that before in Tere hawaale (Laal Singh Chaddha) and Ghungroo (War).
Priyanka Roy
Which is your favourite Arijit Singh song of 2023? Tell t2@abp.in
